2-year-old Jewish girl injured in east Jerusalem rock attack in stable condition

"She is conscious but very sleepy," says hospital spokesperson; police arrest 4 Palestinian teenagers, deem attack nationalistically motivated.

By DANIEL K. EISENBUD
Magen David Adom paramedics 370 (photo credit: Magen David Adom spokesman)
Magen David Adom paramedics 370
(photo credit: Magen David Adom spokesman)
A two-year-old Jewish girl wounded in a rock-throwing attack remains hospitalized, conscious and in stable condition at Hadassah University Medical Center in Jerusalem’s Ein Kerem, a hospital representative said Saturday.
Abigail Ben-Zion was moderately wounded Thursday night, allegedly by Palestinian teenagers, when a large rock hit the vehicle she was traveling in with her parents and two brothers in the Armon Hanatziv neighborhood.
It shattered the rear window adjacent to her seat, striking the right side of the child’s head.
Following the attack Magen David Adom paramedics treated the girl, rendered semi-conscious, at the scene and transported her to the hospital in moderate condition.
Racheli Goldblatt, a spokeswoman for Hadassah, said on Saturday night that Ben-Zion underwent extensive neurological testing; however, she has not required surgery or stitches.
“She’s conscious, but sleepy,” she said. “She is being carefully observed in the surgical unit and we’re still waiting to see if her condition improves.”
Goldblatt added that the hospital would not release test results to the public at this time.
Describing the assault as “nationalistically motivated,” police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said four teenagers between the ages of 15 and 17 from the Arab neighborhood of Tzur Baher, near the scene of the attack, were arrested at 2 a.m. Friday upon returning home, following hours of undercover patrols.
The suspects were arraigned Friday morning at the Jerusalem Magistrate Court, Rosenfeld said, adding that there has been a pronounced spike in rock attacks in the capital over the past few weeks.
Following the assault, Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat, who visited the toddler at the hospital, condemned the violence and called for tougher criminal sanctions against stone-throwers.
“It must be made clear to everyone that a stone is a weapon for all intents and purposes, and it must be viewed this way,” Barkat said.
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu had earlier condemned the attack and vowed that the suspects will be brought to justice.
“We will protect our city,” he said as he lit candles at the Western Wall on Thursday night. “I think that you have understood in recent days that our security forces are focused on apprehending wrongdoers and have been successful in doing so. They will be successful here as well.”Jerusalem Post staff contributed to this report.