US Christian child pepper-sprayed during Yom Kippur

• The victim was assaulted riding his bicycle while listening to music during Yom Kippur.
• The assailants demanded he remove his headphones, then targeted him upon hearing him speak English.
• 'Israeli' police closed the investigation without arrests despite footage capturing the attack.
• Details surfaced as Benjamin Netanyahu claimed at the UN General Assembly that Israel is the sole Middle Eastern nation where Christians thrive.

A nine-year-old Armenian Christian boy was pepper-sprayed by Jewish extremists in Jerusalem after being confronted for riding his bicycle and wearing headphones during the Yom Kippur holiday.

Footage broadcast by 'Israel's' Channel 13 showed the victim, identified as William, receiving emergency medical treatment from paramedics in an ambulance following the assault.

The confrontation occurred near the Old City as the child rode his bike while listening to music.

Extremists approached William and demanded he remove his headphones.

When the boy complied and spoke in English, the attackers shouted "No English, Jews," before spraying him directly with pepper spray.

No arrests despite CCTV

The assault represents the second time the young boy has been targeted by extremists in the city.

During a previous incident, William's father was present and intervened to protect him; however, he was unescorted during this week's attack.

The boy's mother told Channel 13 that her son has suffered severe distress, struggled to sleep, and developed a fear of outwardly Jewish individuals since the attack.

Despite the presence of security cameras covering the area, local police closed the investigation without filing charges or arresting any suspects.

Journalist Yossi Eli, who broke the story, condemned the attack and the lack of police action in a public statement on X.

"We as a Jewish people, who went through the Holocaust and suffered anti-Semitism around the world, should be ashamed of the hatred extremists have developed and displayed towards Christians," Eli wrote.

תסתכלו על וויליאם. הוא בן 9 . בריונים קיצוניים התיזו עליו פלפל. כל חטאו שהיה שביום כיפור הוא רכב על אופניים סמוך לממילא בירושלים ושמע, רחמנא ליצלן, מוזיקה באוזניות. הם ניגשו אליו באיומים, דרשו שיוריד את האוזניות. הוא עשה את זה , אבל אז הם שמעו שהוא מדבר באנגלית. No English ,… pic.twitter.com/ofcfJxDnak

— Yossi Eli (@Yossi_eli) September 24, 2026

The attack adds to a documented surge in incidents targeting Christians and church properties in Jerusalem.

Earlier this year on Palm Sunday, Israeli police prevented senior Catholic clergy from reaching the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, drawing formal diplomatic protests from international governments.

The revelations regarding the nine-year-old's assault surfaced on the same day 'Israeli' Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the United Nations General Assembly in New York, where he asserted that 'Israel' remains the only country in the Middle East where "the Christian community is growing, thriving, succeeding."

In addition to incidents in Jerusalem, 'Israel's' tolerance toward Christian populations has faced international scrutiny due to military operations conducted by the 'Israel' Defense Forces in southern Lebanon.