Baby with Rockland Ties Dies in Jerusalem When Palestinian Driver Smashes into Pedestrians

Chaya Zissel Braun, a three-month-old girl, died yesterday when she was hit by a car at a crowded light-rail station in Jerusalem. Eight others were injured.

Chaya and her parents are U.S. citizens—the girl’s mother lived in Monsey until about 10 years ago, according to The Journal News.

In a statement about the incident, Congresswoman Nita M. Lowey (D-Westchester/Rockland), said, ““Our hearts are completely broken by yesterday’s terrorist attack in Jerusalem that killed Chaya Zissel Braun. Such indiscriminate hatred and targeted violence against innocent civilians, including this three month old baby girl with family right here in Rockland County, shocks the conscience and must be universally condemned. ”

The driver, identified as Abed a-Rahman a-Shaludi, 20, died after he was shot by security forces as he ran away.

His family told journalists it was typical of unequal treatment of Israelis and Palestinians by police.

“A few days ago a Jewish settler knocked over two girls near Ramallah. He killed one and the other is in serious condition,” they said in a statement to Israeli media, the guardian.com reported. The girl in the hit-and-run to which they were referring was 5. “The police immediately said it was a car accident. In our case they said the opposite in seconds. This is because the driver was an Arab driver. When a Jewish driver was involved in an accident the attitude was different and no one shot him.”

Israeli officials said Shaludi was a member of Hamas and had served several terms in prison, the Guardian said.

Child-killing has been a sequence of violence since the summer in and around the West Bank. Three Israeli youths were abducted and killed and a Palestinian teen was abducted and burnt to death.

The tram system, which traverses Arab and Jewish neighborhoods in Jerusalem, has been a particular target, according to news reports.