Israeli student charged with insulting religion over spitting at Jerusalem church

A 19-year-old Israeli student has been charged with “insulting religion” for spitting at a church in Jerusalem last year, according to an indictment filed at Jerusalem’s Magistrates’ Court.

The indictment alleges that Avraham Entman was walking near the Prison of Christ Church in the Old City on the evening of 27 July 2025. The church is understood by many to be the place where Jesus was held captive before his crucifixion.

Entman was reportedly part of a tour of the city’s gates. It is claimed that when he passed the church door, which is part of the Holy Sepulchre complex, he spat on its façade “due to his hatred of Christians and Arabs.”

The indictment says Entman, who lives in an Israeli settlement, “desecrated a place of worship with the intention of insulting the religion of others or knowing that this act constitutes an insult against the region itself.”

The offence can carry a prison sentence of up to three years, and prosecutors say they will seek a custodial sentence if he is found guilty.

The case comes amid what the report describes as a series of attacks, including spitting and vandalism against churches, monasteries and clergy in Jerusalem’s Old City in recent months. Christians who serve and worship in the Old City have borne the weight of such incidents, and the pursuit of accountability through the courts stands as a matter of public truth and protection for the vulnerable (Proverbs 31:8-9).

Source: Read the original report