Israeli Ambassador to US Expresses Hope After Son's Critical Injury in Terror Attack

Israeli Ambassador to the United States, Michael (Yechiel) Laser, spoke from Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem on Thursday, hours after returning to Israel following the severe injury of his son, Neria Laser, in a Palestinian terrorist attack at the Makabim checkpoint the previous day. Neria, a reservist in his 30s, was critically wounded when a terrorist rammed his vehicle into him and was subsequently neutralized by security forces. "We are full of hope that we will get through this and he will return to us healthy and whole," Ambassador Laser stated, expressing gratitude to the hospital staff for their care. He noted that while his son's condition remains life-threatening after undergoing multiple surgeries, including for a severe head injury, doctors managed to stabilize him overnight. The ambassador shared that he has received an outpouring of prayers from Jewish and Christian communities worldwide for Neria's recovery. This incident comes after Ambassador Laser lost his elder son, Major Moshe Yedidya Laser, who was killed in combat in the Gaza Strip on November 10, 2023. "This experience is different from the night we received the knock on the door almost three years ago, when our eldest son Moshe Yedidya fell in the line of duty," Laser said, contrasting the immediate death of his older son with the current fight for Neria's life. He described Neria as his second son and his best friend, who has been leading the family since Moshe's death. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited Neria at the hospital before departing for the UN. Defense Minister Yoav Gallant also offered prayers for Neria's recovery and praised the forces who eliminated the terrorist, vowing to combat terrorism.