Indictment: West Bank resident spat at church door in Old City

The State Prosecutor's Office filed an indictment against Avraham Antman, a 19-year-old resident of Yitzhar, who spat at the door of the "Church of the Imprisonment of Jesus" in the Old City of Jerusalem out of hatred towards Christians and Arabs. He is charged with insulting religion.

The State Prosecutor's Office today (Wednesday) filed an indictment with the Jerusalem Magistrate's Court against Avraham Antman, a 19-year-old resident of Yitzhar. According to the indictment, on July 27, 2025, at around 7:00 PM, Antman arrived at the "Church of the Imprisonment of Jesus" in the Old City as part of a gate rotation. While passing by the church, he spat at its door, motivated by his hatred towards Christians and Arabs. It is further alleged that the defendant intended to desecrate a place of worship and insult the religion of the worshippers. Antman is charged with insulting religion, and the prosecution intends to seek a prison sentence. The article notes that this incident joins a series of incidents of desecration of churches in the Old City, and mentions additional cases, including a resident of Modi'in Illit who spat at a church door in June 2025, and an attack with tear gas at an Armenian restaurant in July 2024. According to a police source, in some cases suspects are caught red-handed but released in court, and the charges are limited due to the prosecution's stance.