4 year old girl killed in Beit Shemesh, Rabbi blames Haredi draft

A 4-year-old girl who was killed in a traffic accident in Beit Shemesh on Wednesday was laid to rest amid large crowds and a controversial eulogy that linked her death to the ongoing dispute over military service for ultra-Orthodox students.

Abigail Yaakov died after being struck by a vehicle while riding a toy car on Rabbi Yitzhak Nafcha Street at 17:07. The child was found unconscious without a pulse or breathing, suffering from head injuries and significant bleeding.

Per Arutz Sheva, during the funeral, Rabbi Toufik delivered a eulogy that connected the tragedy to the 54,000 draft orders issued to yeshiva students that same day. "So many tragedies, obviously we must strengthen our faith," the rabbi said. "We hear that today 54,000 draft orders are issued to yeshiva students. This is such a guilty act - who knows if this sacrifice didn't come to atone a little."

The rabbi also emphasized the importance of unity among Israelis, saying, "We need to know that we are messengers of compassion, love of Israel for one another, this togetherness supports us."

Emergency Response

MDA paramedics Shmuel Arieli and Tzvi Aryeh Zeibeld responded to the scene. "It was a very severe traffic accident," they reported. "We found her lying unconscious, without a pulse and not breathing, suffering from a head injury and significant bleeding."

United Hatzalah volunteers provided additional details: "When we arrived at the scene, we saw a 4-year-old girl lying on the road without a pulse and not breathing, with multiple injuries after being hit by a vehicle while riding a toy car."

Emergency teams began advanced resuscitation efforts at the scene and evacuated the child to the trauma room at Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital in critical condition. Despite extensive medical efforts, doctors were unable to save her life.

The incident was one of four child fatalities that occurred across Israel on Wednesday.