Ambassador’s Son Critically Injured in Ramming Attack

Neria Leiter, the son of Israel’s Ambassador to the United States, Yechiel Leiter, was critically injured Wednesday in a terrorist car-ramming attack at the Maccabim checkpoint on Route 443 near Beit Horon.

Neria, an IDF reservist, was serving at the checkpoint when a terrorist drove a vehicle into the security forces. He was initially reported only as a soldier critically wounded in the attack, before his identity was released and it emerged that he is the son of Israel’s ambassador to the United States.

He suffered serious head injuries and was evacuated to Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Yerushalayim, where he underwent emergency surgery. As of the latest reports, he remains in critical, life-threatening condition. The terrorist was eliminated at the scene.

Ambassador Leiter, who is returning to Israel from the United States, appealed for tefillos for his son.

“I am grateful to the IDF, to the medical team at Shaare Zedek who are now fighting to save the life of Neria Dov ben Chana, and for the prayers of the people of Israel”, the ambassador wrote in a post on X.

“I believe in the power of prayer, and I believe that when the people of Israel unite, miracles happen. Neria needs a miracle.”

The attack comes nearly three years after the Leiter family suffered another devastating loss. Neria’s older brother, Major (res.) Moshe Yedidya Leiter, was killed in battle in northern Gaza three years ago at the age of 39. Moshe, a father of six, had served in the elite Shaldag unit and was a reserve commander in the 551st Brigade.

Despite the loss of his brother, Neria continued serving in the reserves. His father wrote that since October 7 he has completed hundreds of days of reserve duty on multiple fronts. In a post earlier this year, Neria himself described the difficulty of returning to service as a bereaved brother, writing that he could not remain on the sidelines while his friends continued serving.

Ambassador Leiter has spoken and spent Shabbos with multiple Chabad communities across the United States. Earlier this year, he addressed the Living Legacy Conference in Washington, where he spoke about the Rebbe’s influence on his life and leadership.

The family is asking the public to daven for Neria Dov ben Chana.