‘We need your prayers’ - Son of Israel’s US Ambassador Leiter taken off ventilator but still unconscious

Israel’s Ambassador to the United States Yechiel Leiter said Wednesday evening that his son, Neriyah, who was hit in a ramming attack in September, has begun breathing on his own. 

Ambassador Leiter shared the update about Neriyah in a video message displayed during a memorial ceremony honoring the victims of Oct. 7, 2023, held by Evangelical Christians in Jerusalem. 

“Neriyah sustained very serious head injuries. Until this morning, actually, he was on a ventilator. They're slowly removing the sedation and the ventilation. He's beginning to breathe on his own, although he's not very conscious. We don't know if that's going to be sustainable. But one thing we know for sure. That prayers matter,” Leiter said. 

“What we're battling really for our very existence. And I believe very strongly, very deeply that prayers matter, that God hears our prayers,” Ambassador Leiter continued. “We need your prayers. We need your support, and we appreciate that. We'll win.” 

Leiter also thanked attendees, many of whom had come from 117 different nations to express support for Israel. 

Neriyah Leiter continues to be treated at the Sha’are Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem, where he was taken after being rammed by a terrorist on September 23. He underwent emergency brain surgery and remained unconscious and on a ventilator. 

Last week, after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the hospital, Ambassador Leiter posted an update on Neriyah's condition, expressing “immense gratitude for the support and all the prayers on his behalf.” 

As I sit here at my son Neriyah’s bedside, I am thinking about what the most appropriate message would be as we enter the Simchat Torah holiday. Neriyah is still on life support and my first thought is one of immense gratitude for the support and all the prayers on his behalf. Your prayers have given my family and me tremendous strength in the knowledge that prayers matter. Prime Minister Netanyahu visited us in the hospital today to share a much-needed sense of comfort and support. Please continue to pray for Neriyah’s recovery, perhaps next Simchat Torah he will be able to rejoice together with his darling wife and children.

— Ambassador Yechiel (Michael) Leiter (@yechielleiter) October 2, 2026

“Your prayers have given my family and me tremendous strength in the knowledge that prayers matter. Prime Minister Netanyahu visited us in the hospital today to share a much-needed sense of comfort and support.”  

Leiter also expressed his hope that “perhaps next Simchat Torah he will be able to rejoice together with his darling wife and children.” 

Leiter’s oldest son, Major Moshe Yedidya Leiter, 39, was killed in November 2023, while fighting against Hamas in the northern Gaza Strip.