ABC News details surge in attacks on Christians in Israel, settler violence in West Bank

Summary

The ABC News Live Weekend broadcast opened with domestic headlines including charges against three Pennsylvania youth football coaches after an on-field brawl, a WMO warning of a very strong El Niño through 2027, and gymnast Jordan Chiles' bid for the 2028 LA Olympics. The main segment was an extended report by James Longman on rising assaults against Christians in Israel, linking it to patterns of ultra-nationalist settler violence in the West Bank and tacit support from far-right ministers. It featured interviews with Abbot Nicodemus of Dormition Abbey, who described daily spitting, the April nun assault (acquittal noted), and blamed Itamar Ben-Gvir. A brief segment later reflected on sports' role in national healing 25 years after 9/11.

Sourcing combined on-the-ground footage, named interviews with the abbot and Israel's special envoy to Christians George Deek, references to Israel's state broadcaster on a 60%+ rise in attacks, and visuals of settler encampments. The report positioned the issue as part of a pattern affecting Palestinian Christians, with limited counter from officials beyond Deek's defense of dialogue.

Editorial Assessment

The segment accurately captured a documented rise in anti-Christian harassment (83 incidents in spring 2026 per independent monitors, predominantly spitting in Jerusalem's Old City) and settler violence (IDF data shows 27% rise in 2025, UN reports even steeper increases in 2026 with dozens killed/injured). Claims about Ben-Gvir's past defense of spitting as a 'custom' and his extremism hold up via his record. Viewers may miss that Israeli authorities have made some arrests, that most incidents involve youth extremists rather than official policy, and that Christian populations in Israel proper have grown while declining regionally due to Islamist pressures elsewhere. Framing leans toward portraying the Netanyahu government as enabling 'Jewish terrorism' without equal weight to Hamas/Hezbollah threats cited by the abbot himself. Overall solid reporting on a real problem but selective context risks overstating governmental complicity.