Poland's Embassy Slams 'Unacceptable' Harassment of Nuns as Bottles Hit Jerusalem Convent

Latest incident

The Polish embassy in Israel posted photographs on Monday of broken bottles thrown at the New Polish House in Jerusalem's Me'a She'arim district. The embassy said harassment of the convent's nuns has intensified in recent weeks.

The repeated harassment of Polish nuns at the New Polish House in Jerusalem in recent weeks is unacceptable; it poses a threat to people and property. Those responsible must be held accountable. Effective prevention is a necessity.

In its social media post, the embassy tagged the Israel Police, the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and George Deek, Israel's special envoy to the Christian world.

Pattern of abuse

Harassment of the Sisters of St. Elizabeth has been ongoing for years. In the summer of 2023, when incidents escalated, the convent superior told Polish media that spitting, verbal abuse, and attacks with bottles, stones, and spoiled food were a near-daily occurrence. Pilgrims were also targeted with water-filled bags.

When the nuns go out onto the streets, they encounter hostility and even violence. They are spat on and insulted.

Polish Foreign Ministry spokesman Maciej Wewiór said on Monday that the ministry is in constant contact with local police. He noted that because the convent is in an ultra-Orthodox Jewish neighborhood, direct talks with the local rabbi have sometimes calmed the situation, though incidents recur after a period.

The New Polish House

The convent, known as the New Polish House, was consecrated in December 1941, though the elżbietanki sisters have been present in Jerusalem since 1931. It functions as a pilgrims' hostel with dozens of beds, welcoming both groups and individual visitors. The building is surrounded by homes of Orthodox Jews in one of the city's oldest Jewish quarters.