Ari Fuld, z”l, was a 45-year-old immigrant from the U.S., and a resident of the Gush Etzion town of Efrat. On September 16, he was stabbed in the back by a 17-year-old Arab terrorist, Khalil Jubarin, from the Hebron area. Before collapsing, Fuld, along with another armed civilian and a security guard, managed to shoot and subdue the terrorist. The terrorist was moderately wounded and evacuated to an Israeli hospital in Jerusalem.
Ari is survived by four brothers, Moshe, Dani, Hillel and Eitan, his parents, Rabbi Yoni and Mary Fuld, and his wife Miriam and four children: Tamar 22, Naomi 21, Yakir 17, and Natan 12.
Ari Fuld was Jewish superhero, in real life and online. He was an outspoken activist and defender of Israel. Whenever something newsworthy was going on, Ari was swooping in. He wasn’t wearing a bright red cape though. Ari’s super power came from his smartphone and a selfie stick. Within minutes of any news, Ari was streaming a live broadcast on social media. Sharing the truth and beauty about Israel to the world was Ari’s life mission, with an emphasis on truth.
I believe that his drive for truth was an atonement for the sin of the spies that we learn about in the Chumash. The 12 spies were sent to scope out the land and report back with the situation. Ten of them returned to Moshe in the desert and had only negative things to say. That’s something Ari simply couldn’t tolerate.
Nothing upset Ari more than to hear lies and negative reports about Israel. Of course, not everything Ari posted on social media was positive. As much as Ari loved to show people the beautiful landscapes of Israel, share the spirituality of our holy sites, or give his insights on the Torah portion for the week, the unfortunate reality we live in is constantly peppered with reports of terror attacks and atrocities against the Jewish people. Ari shared news of rockets launched into Jewish communities, rocks and Molotov cocktails thrown at cars, shootings, stabbings, and all the various forms of attacks that happen in our Holy Land. He also shared wrongdoings by our government and the ugliness that occurs when Jews turn against their fellow Jews.
Ari would share these incidents with the world and insist that people share it on their own pages, because, he would say, “If you don’t, nobody else will.” And he was right. Most of these reports went unnoticed by mainstream media. Ari understood the power of social media and used it to show the raw truth that people couldn’t find anywhere else.
Ironically, and tragically, Ari himself became a victim of terror simply because he was a Jew living in the Jewish State.
On that fateful Sunday morning, at around 11 a.m., I received news that there was a terror attack at the Gush Etzion junction. One person was reported injured. Instead of clicking on the news link on my phone, I did what I usually do. I logged onto Ari’s Facebook page. If anyone knows what’s going on, it’s Ari, and he’ll be live streaming from the scene within moments.
But Ari hadn’t posted anything yet. “He must be out of town,” I figured. “Perhaps he’s involved in an important project and doesn’t know about the attack yet?” Not long after, it was reported that the victim had died. I shook my head and sighed at the horrific news, and then refreshed by browser expecting to see Ari’s post at any moment.
Nothing prepared me for the news that was coming. Minutes later, the phone call came from a friend who works in security. Ari’s coverage of the incident wasn’t ever going to come. The unnamed victim we had all been hearing about for hours was my friend, Ari.
I couldn’t stop shaking. I could not fathom that this big, strong, black-belt karate expert, who walked around armed with a huge gun, had been murdered in the name of Jihad.
Ari wasn’t just on the frontlines of Israel’s hasbara and PR efforts. He was also committed to the physical defense of the State of Israel. He made aliyah from New York, spent some time in yeshiva, and then joined an IDF combat unit. He fought as a reservist in the Second Lebanon War. Ari often told about an open miracle he witnessed when he survived a full-on enemy attack. He escaped with shrapnel from a shell embedded in his protective vest. He kept that piece of shrapnel and shared the story with anybody who would listen. He was convinced that he should have died that day and describes that moment as the turning point in his life. He knew his life had been spared for a purpose.
Ari’s funeral took place in the middle of the night, yet it was attended by thousands of people from all over the country, including the Chief Rabbi of Israel, various ministers of Knesset, diplomats, the prime minister of Israel, and the ambassador of the United States. I don’t think anyone realized how many lives Ari had touched until that night.
His wife Miriam shared that when Ari turned 40 he received the standard letter from the army indicating that he was no longer required to serve. Ari tore it to shreds and informed the army that he would be continuing his service.
In addition to his continued service in the IDF, he was also a member of his hometown community’s first response anti-terrorism unit. He was on-call 24/7 in case of a terrorist infiltration or any other security incident. Ari would often post about these incidents on Facebook, sharing how proud he was of his team for arriving at the scene within minutes, to protect his sleeping neighbors, even if it was 3 a.m.
I was recently told that as a result in the upswing in terror attacks, Ari offered krav maga self-defense courses for women in his area. Ari instructed women on how to fend off an attacker wielding a knife. Ironically, that was exactly the form of attack that ended his life.
But, while Ari ultimately died as the result of such an attack, he did so in a truly heroic manner. The young Arab terrorist managed to sneak up behind Ari and stab him while he stood outside the local supermarket. Doctors described the events that followed as impossible, according to his wounds. They explained that the terrorist had successfully hit a main artery, in such a way that Ari would have been unable to breathe, collapsed, and bled out in a matter of seconds.
But that’s not what the videos of the attack show. Various angles of the video have been published, where you can clearly see that Ari immediately turns and chases his attacker. He runs, causes a restaurant owner to jump out of the way, jumps over a wall, slams into a door, draws his weapon, and fires. He neutralized the terrorist as he was approaching the entrance of a shopping mall, saving countless lives. After the terrorist fell to the ground, Ari then collapsed against the side of the building.
Ari’s brother explained at the funeral that he believes the doctors are correct, and that his brother was killed instantly by his attacker. He believes that it was at this point that Ari’s soul took over and carried out his last heroic act in this world.
The day after the attack, the restaurant owner seen in the video jumping out of the way, hung a picture of Ari in her storefront window. The poster says, “Thank you, Ari, for saving my life.” She is certain that if Ari had collapsed and not given chase to the attacker, that she would have been his next victim.
But Ari didn’t become a hero on that fateful day. Hundreds of IDF soldiers could tell you stories about how Ari would drive across the country, through his work with the Standing Together organization, to deliver care packages, food, and equipment for soldiers that are guarding our borders.
Whether it was donuts on Chanukah, mishloach manot on Purim, or just a random Tuesday, Ari was there to do what he could to ease the difficult burden of our brave IDF troops.
In fact, not long before he was murdered, I remember getting a FaceTime call from Ari. He wanted to show me that he had my nephew with him, and that they were on their way to Hebron to deliver Cool Collars to the soldiers stationed there. In the summer, these areas are unbearably hot, and these collars are worn on the back of the soldier’s neck to keep him cool in the dangerously extreme temperatures.
That was Ari – always on call to do what he could to help the soldiers, his neighbors, or any fellow Jew in need. He was always a hero.
A mutual friend and activist commented in a distraught moment at the funeral, “Today we lost our general.” And that’s true. For a moment, we all stood still and did nothing as we processed what had happened.
Our lion is gone, but he will never be forgotten. As of today, there are numerous pro-Israel activists committed to continuing his mission. So many people have pledged to fulfill his legacy by shouting the truth about Israel in whatever way they can. So many charity projects are taking shape in Ari’s name, as well as advocacy projects and efforts focused on Ari’s constant message that Jews must settle the Land of Israel.
The fund opened to support Ari’s family has raised over a million dollars from more than 10,000 individuals from around the world. Magnets, posters, and signs have been made to show support for the family and to keep Ari’s legacy alive. Donations, requests for material, and project ideas continue to stream in to the family every day from all over.
The writer is an Israeli freelance journalist, spokesperson for the Gush Etzion Regional Council, and talk-radio host of “Uncensored” on The Land of Israel Network. He is proud to call Ari Fuld a friend.
