Czech diplomat killed in Jerusalem minibus accident had ‘deep love’ for Israel, city

Hours after celebrating Czech National Day with her diplomatic colleagues last Wednesday night, Klára Schneiderová was walking her beloved dog as she often did near Jerusalem’s Mahane Yehuda market when tragedy struck.

The 30-year-old diplomat had returned to Israel only a month earlier to head the Czech Embassy’s Jerusalem branch office, thrilled to be back in a country she had known since childhood.

But on Thursday morning, a minibus driver apparently lost control of his vehicle, mounted the sidewalk and fatally struck Schneiderová before crashing into a storefront on Agrippas Street.

A Czech embassy statement mourned her “tragic death” on Friday, calling her “a smart, warm and friendly person, and an outstanding diplomat.”

“It’s a very sad moment for us,” Cyril Bumbálek, deputy Czech ambassador to Israel, told The Times of Israel in a phone interview on Monday.

Schneiderová had returned following a year away after her previous post as the number two diplomat in the Czech Republic’s office in Ramallah in the West Bank.

“She was very, very excited to start this new position,” Bumbálek recalled. “She knew many people, compatriots, was very into the history, culture here.”

“She enjoyed being in Jerusalem, the place with thousands of years of history,” he added, describing how she knew “every corner” of the city and was especially interested in its Jewish, Arab, and Islamic heritage.

Schneiderová lived near the Mahane Yehuda market and preferred exploring Jerusalem on foot rather than driving, often accompanied by her small dog, Habib, to whom she was exceptionally attached, according to Bumbálek, who said she even brought the dog to the office and diplomatic meetings.

The dog was killed alongside her in the crash.

Schneiderová’s love for Israel stretched back decades. Her father, Jiří Schneider, served as the second Czech ambassador to Israel following the restoration of diplomatic relations in the 1990s. Schneiderová spent part of her childhood in the country, attending an English-American school in Even Yehuda.

Because of her partial upbringing here, “she had a very deep and personal connection to the country. So it was not just work for her, it had a kind of emotional touch,” Bumbálek said.

Her body is expected to be flown back to the Czech Republic on Wednesday, for burial near her family.

Schneiderová was taken to Jerusalem’s Shaare Zedek Medical Center following the crash, where she was pronounced dead, medics said.

Police detained the minibus driver at the scene and launched an investigation into the circumstances of the accident.

Her death prompted an outpouring of condolences from Israeli officials and ordinary citizens alike.

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana, and Democrats leader Yair Golan all expressed their personal condolences to the embassy, Bumbálek said, adding that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office also sent a note.

“We didn’t expect such a wave of interest…many people heard about her death and came to the embassy, brought flowers,” he said. “It’s a very sad moment for us, but at the same time, we are really appreciating the really massive wave of solidarity and support from all corners of Israeli society.”

A black flag was flown on Monday at the Jerusalem branch office as a mark of mourning and respect.

Schneiderová’s death comes amid growing concern over road safety in Israel. Over 300 people have died in road accidents in Israel this year, according to the National Road Safety Authority.

Last year saw 459 fatalities in road accidents, marking the highest yearly death toll in two decades, according to the authority. Among them were 126 pedestrians, up from 120 in 2024. In Jerusalem alone, seven pedestrians were killed and another 160 injured last year, according to figures published by the road-safety organization Or Yarok.

TOI Staff contributed to this report.