“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 envoy wrote, using the form with a victim’s mother’s name to pray for that person’s recovery.
“I believe in the power of prayer, and I believe that when the people of Israel unite, miracles happen,” Leiter stated. “Neria needs a miracle.”
The Israel Defense Forces previously said that Israeli security officers killed a terrorist who drove a car into the Maccabim checkpoint and wounded an IDF soldier, who has now been identified as Neria Leiter.
The ambassador’s oldest son, Maj. Moshe Leiter, was killed in Gaza in 2023. The Israeli representative noted that Neria continued to serve in uniform after his brother’s death.
“Since Oct. 7, he has served hundreds of days in the reserves on multiple fronts,” the ambassador said, of Neria.
“Palestinian terrorism seeks to uproot the people of Israel from their land,” he stated. “They choose death. We choose life.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that he is praying for the Leiter family. “We are all with you,” Netanyahu wrote.
U.S. and Israeli officials, including U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee and Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz, wrote similar statements of support.
“A Palestinian terrorist attempts to murder IDF soldiers at a checkpoint,” Huckabee wrote. “Standing with Ambassador Leiter.”
