Neria Leiter
Neria Leiter is an Israeli civilian and the son of Israel's Ambassador to the United States, Yechiel Leiter. He gained national attention after being critically wounded in a car-ramming terror attack in the Binyamin region in September 2026.
Neria Leiter is the son of Yechiel Leiter, the Israeli Ambassador to the United States. On Wednesday, September 23, 2026, Neria was critically wounded in a car-ramming terror attack targeting a police patrol vehicle in the Binyamin region of Judea and Samaria, specifically near the Maccabim checkpoint on Route 443. At the time of the attack, he was reportedly in the vehicle alongside a police officer as part of a joint security operation. Following the incident, he was rushed to Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem, where he underwent emergency brain surgery. Doctors have described his condition as critical and life-threatening.
The Leiter family has faced significant personal sacrifice during the ongoing multi-front conflict. Neria is the younger brother of Major Moshe Leiter, a high-ranking officer who fell in combat in the northern Gaza Strip during the early stages of Operation Swords of Iron. The wounding of Neria has drawn widespread support from Israel's top leadership. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited Neria at the hospital before departing for the United Nations General Assembly in New York, and President Isaac Herzog offered public prayers for his recovery during an Armored Corps memorial ceremony. Ambassador Yechiel Leiter, who was in Washington at the time of the attack, immediately returned to Israel to be with his family, stating publicly that his son "needs a miracle."
Neria's case highlights the personal toll of the security situation on the families of Israel's senior diplomatic and military leadership. As of late September 2026, he remains hospitalized in Jerusalem under intensive care. Public calls for prayer have been issued using his Hebrew name, Nerya Dov ben Chana.