The Israeli ambassador to the United States, Yechiel Leiter, announced on Thursday that his son Neriya, a reserve soldier, is fighting for his life after being struck by a Palestinian who hit him with a car at a checkpoint in the West Bank.
Neriya Leiter's Critical Condition
Yechiel Leiter explained to reporters outside a hospital in Jerusalem that he quickly returned home after the incident on Wednesday. Neriya Leiter, 39, underwent a complex brain surgery that lasted several hours, and his condition is now stable, but he remains in serious danger.
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Leiter, who was scheduled to attend a speech by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the United Nations on Thursday, said: "The operation was successful, and his condition is now stable, but his life is still in danger."
Leiter's Criticism of Emmanuel Macron
The Israeli ambassador also strongly criticized Emmanuel Macron, the President of France. Macron had referred to violence related to Israeli settlers in his speech at the UN General Assembly. Leiter described these remarks as stemming from "ignorance or malice" and asserted that Macron incorrectly claimed that "Hamas has never harmed Jews in Judea and Samaria."
This comes as on Sunday, a Palestinian attacker killed a settler named Nathaniel Shachron in the West Bank, who also held French citizenship. Leiter remarked, "The aim of the attack on Nathaniel Shachron and my son Neriya is to eradicate us from this place."
Impact of Rising Violence
The French Foreign Ministry responded to Leiter's remarks, with spokesperson Pascal Confavreux condemning all terrorist attacks and adding, "Everyone has clearly understood that the President meant that Hamas has never governed in the West Bank. This claim by Macron cannot justify the expansion of settlements or the violence of settlers."
Under the right-wing government of Benjamin Netanyahu, the number of new Israeli settlements has significantly increased. These settlements are considered illegal under international law, and in recent months, there has been a rise in attacks and thefts carried out by extremist settlers against Palestinians. The United Nations has reported that about six violent incidents related to settlers against Palestinians or their property occur daily in this territory.
Yechiel Leiter, a religious Jew with eight children, was born in the United States and later immigrated to Israel, moving to a settlement in the West Bank. Another one of his sons was killed in battle in Gaza in November 2023.
Leiter has frequently criticized France. Last year, after an attacker killed two Israeli embassy staff in Washington, he accused France of fueling anti-Semitic sentiments through its plans to recognize a Palestinian state.
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