Israeli man stabbed to death in Judea by Palestinian teenager
A 45-year-old father of four and prolific pro-Israel activist was stabbed to death by an Arab teenager on Sunday morning outside a shopping center in Gush Etzion, Judea.
Ari Fuld at his home in Efrat, Israel. Courtesy JNS: Yishai Fleisher
Ari Fuld, a social-media activist and media pundit, who also worked with the “Standing Together” Israel Defense Forces’ soldier support organization was attacked by a 17-year-old Palestinian from the nearby town of Yatta, while standing outside the Rami Levy supermarket, which is frequented by both Arabs and Jews.
Security camera footage shows the Palestinian approaching slowly and possibly even communicating with Fuld before stabbing him multiple times. Despite being severely wounded, Fuld rose up and ran after the attacker, shooting him as other Israelis shopping in the area drew arms and rushed to the scene.
Fuld, a resident of the town of Efrat, was rushed to Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem in critical condition. Doctors performed resuscitation maneuvers on him but were unsuccessful.
“With a stab wound in the back, he ran, drew his gun and fired before collapsing, just to make sure the terrorist would not continue to hurt others,” Education Minister Naftali Bennett wrote on his Twitter account.
“My deepest condolences to the family of Ari Fuld—may his memory be blessed—who showed incredible courage and who chased after the terrorist despite his injuries,” wrote Zionist Union Knesset member Ksenia Svetlova.
“My heart is with the Etzion Bloc,” wrote Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman on Twitter. “My condolences to the families of the victim. We will continue to fight terrorism with an iron fist.”
Friends in the pro-Israel community also took to social-media channels to mourn the loss of Fuld, who they said truly embodied his name Ari, which means “lion” in Hebrew.
“Be Ari Fulds! Don’t be afraid to say the truth!” cried Avi Abelow, executive at the popular Israel Video Network in a live Facebook broadcast from the Western Wall on Ari Fuld’s Israel Defense Page, which was viewed by hundreds of followers and was filled with praise for Fuld’s record as a pro-Israel advocate.
“Our good friend, father, good Jew and incredible fighter for Israel, Ari Fuld was murdered in Gush Etzion today,” wrote Yishai Fleisher, international spokesperson for the Jewish community of Hebron, on Twitter. “After being stabbed he got up and shot the terrorist but later succumbed to his wounds. We will miss him very much and ensure his legacy continues.”
Fuld’s last post to Twitter was a picture of tens of thousands of Jews praying the traditional selichot(“forgiveness”) prayers for repentance at the Western Wall just before Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, which will be observed on Wednesday.
A spokesperson for Hamas told the Arab Safa news outlet that the killing of Fuld was a “legitimate form of resistance” against “the Israeli occupation.”
The terrorist was transported to Jerusalem’s Hadassah Hospital Mount Scopus in moderate condition with multiple gunshot wounds.
Alan Freedman, Ari Fuld and Michael Burd in Melbourne last November
Fuld was stabbed by a 17-year-old Palestinian from the West Bank village of Yatta, located near Hebron.
The stabber arrived at the parking lot outside the Rami Levi supermarket, where he stabbed the 40-year-old in his upper body, causing severe bleeding and tissue damage, shortly before being shot and neutralized – allegedly by Fuld who chased after the terrorist and shot him.
Fuld was transported to Shaare Zedek Medical Center where he succumbed to his wounds.
A resident of Efrat, Fuld was a father of four and an avid supporter and defender of Israel.
Lior Shurka, a friend of the victim, told TPS that Fuld “was very involved in explaining and defending the good reputation of the State of Israel.”
“Ari was about to have launched in a new Hasbara website in English. He was a good friend who you knew would stand by you and protect you in any situation,” Shurka said. “A lowly terrorist came up behind him, and in a cowardly way stabbed him. Ari was one of the fighters in the Efrat emergency squad. We didn’t expect anything less of him. Even after he was shot, Ari engaged with the terrorist and chased him as he was bleeding, and managed to respond and shoot at the terrorist.”
“We are confident that his death will not be in vain, and his activity will grow and intensify. We expect the government to immediately demolish the house of the terrorist and expel his family to the Gaza Strip as soon as possible,” Shurka added.
In November last year Ari spoke at four AJA events in Australia. As recently as two weeks ago, AJA President Dr David Adler discussed with Ari the concept of doing a more substantial speaking tour in Australia next year, something he said he was keen to do.
“Ari Fuld was a true mensch (a person of integrity and honour). One of the best and most committed Israel advocates you could ever meet,” Dr Adler said. “Whilst in Sydney he stayed in my home and was like family. We did one of his radio programmes on Israel News Talk Radio jointly from my home”.
The World Jewish Congress condemns in the strongest terms possible the deadly terrorist attack that took place on Sunday at a mall next to the Gush Etzion Junction outside of Jerusalem, killing American-Israeli Ari Fuld.
“The World Jewish Congress unequivocally condemns the brutal and heinous act of terror that took place today in Gush Etzion,” WJC CEO and Executive Vice President Robert Singer said. “We send our deepest condolences to the family of the victim, Ari Fuld, a father of four and defender of Israel, whose life was cut short in violence and hatred, as he heroically confronted his attacker, saving the lives of other innocent bystanders.”
“It is incumbent upon the international community to speak out loudly against this aggression,” Singer added. “We demand that the Palestinian Authority take immediate and harsh measures to curb the incitement that led to this attack, bring the perpetrator to justice, and make it clear that terrorism cannot and will not be tolerated.”
WJC-Israel Chairman, Gad Ariely, who knew Mr. Fuld personally, said, “The whole House of Israel and decent people everywhere are deeply saddened by the killing of a pillar of the community. This outrage committed during the holiest period of the Jewish calendar will not weaken our resolve to stand strong in the face of terror. May the memory of Ari’s courage and devotion be a blessing that will always inspire us.”
J-Wire and Ilanit Chernick, Yona Schnitzer, TPS and JNS contributed to this report.
