Terror attack kills two members of the same family; the father clings to life.

Six-year-old Yaakov Israel Paley and 20-year-old Alter Shlomo Lederman were killed in a car-ramming attack in the Ramot neighborhood of Jerusalem last Friday, erev Shabbat. The attacker was identified as Hussein Karaka, 31, an Arab Israeli resident of the Issawiya neighborhood in eastern Jerusalem. The terrorist was killed at the scene. Eight-year-old Asher Menachem Paley, Yaakov’s brother, died over Shabbat as a result of the attack as well. The Paley boys’ father, Rabbi Avraham Noach Chaim ben Yehudis, is fighting for his life in the ICU after sustaining severe injuries in the same incident.

“When we arrived at the scene, the sight was shocking. We saw a car near the bus stop after it hit pedestrians who were waiting,” Magen David Adom paramedic Shraga Rosenthal told JNS. “We saw six victims lying next to each other; among them two children about six years old who were unconscious with severe multi-system injuries. A man about 27 years old and a man about 30 years old were unconscious, and two more victims were fully conscious with injuries to their limbs. We gave them initial medical treatment and performed CPR on both children. This is a very serious incident,” he added.

The Ramot bus stop terror attack came just a little over a week since seven people were killed and several others injured in a Jan. 27 terrorist shooting at a synagogue in Jerusalem’s Neve Yaakov neighborhood.

President Isaac Herzog wrote on Twitter: “Just before Shabbat, our hearts are pained by the terrible news of a despicable terrorist who took the lives of a little boy and a young man in a car-ramming attack in Jerusalem. Together with the people of Israel I grieve with the families and pray for the recovery of the injured.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the reinforcement of security forces in the area, and the sealing and later destruction of the terrorist’s home.

“I am extending condolences on behalf of all the citizens of Israel to the families of those murdered in the attack in Jerusalem. Our answer to terrorism is to strike it with all our might and further deepen our hold on our country,” said Netanyahu.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir visited the scene of the attack, where he reiterated a call for the Knesset to implement a death penalty for terrorists. He added that he had instructed police to set up checkpoints around Issawiya and to “stop each vehicle, to check each car. Enough with the approach that ‘if we do something we’ll make them angry.’ There are terrorist attacks now.”

As the entire Paley family is reeling from the two untimely burials, the community is coming together to support this family in their time of need, and The Jewish Link joins the rest of the Jewish world asking for communal help.

Dr. Jeff Paley of Teaneck, a local relative of the family and a well know internist practicing in Manhattan and Englewood, spoke in a video posted on a newly created GoFundMe page (https://thechesedfund.com/bethabraham/paley-family-fund) to assist the family. The page is administered by Dr. Paley through his shul, Congregation Beth Abraham of Bergenfield.

“I am approaching you with a heavy heart due to the tragedy that befell klal Yisrael last Friday. Two precious little angels, Asher Menachem and Yaakov Yisrael Paley, ages 8 and 6 respectively, were tragically taken from us and their father, HaRav Avraham Noach Chaim ben Yehudis, is clinging to life after being severely injured himself.”

“I have spoken to the extended family, and there is great current and expected need for financial support, for the loss of income, for expected medical expenses, for travel to and from the hospital, for babysitting,” he said. He asked that the community give generously.

“It is a meaningful way to honor the memory of Asher Menachem and Yaakov Yisroel Paley. Together, we can help this family through this dark time and show them that they are not alone in their grief,” is the text written on the site. That site again is: https://thechesedfund.com/bethabraham/paley-family-fund

By Jewish Link Staff and JNS