Activist Ari Fuld Killed in Gush Etzion Knife Attack

Ari Fuld of the Judean city of Efrat was killed Sunday morning by 17-year-old Khalil Jabarin of the Yatta village near Hebron.

Fuld, a 45-year-old Zionist social media personality, was stabbed in the back by Jabarin in a Gush Etzion parking lot.

Despite severe injuries, Fuld pursued and shot his attacker before collapsing. He was rushed to Jerusalem’s Shaarei Tzedek Medical Center in unstable condition, where he was pronounced dead following failed resuscitation efforts.

He was laid to rest Sunday night in the Kfar Etzion cemetery. A GoFundMe campaign has been set up by friends to help ease the financial burden on Fuld’s widow and four children.

Fuld moved to Israel from the United States after finishing high school in 1991. He served as a reserves sergeant in the IDF paratroopers unit and also as part of the Efrat emergency squad.

His Facebook page states: “Living the dream! I have a love for the Nation of Israel, Land of Israel and Torah of Israel.”

Well-known in Jewish communities throughout the world, Fuld was assistant director of Standing Together, an organization that provides care packages to IDF soldiers. He was an outspoken defender of the State of Israel online, regularly engaging with Israel’s critics through his Twitter and Facebook accounts.

To many Israelis and Diaspora Jews, Fuld was the ideal Zionist – a passionately outspoken patriot who fully lived his principles and gave all of himself to his family and nation. Senior Israeli politicians publicly expressed remorse at Fuld’s murder and praised his determination to prevent Jabarin from attacking others present.

“I want to send my sincerest condolences to the Fuld family, to the residents of Efrat and all of Gush Etzion over the shocking murder of Ari Fuld,” said Israeli President Reuven Rivlin.

“No one will resist terror so forcefully as Ari, who displayed exceptional courage and fought until the last moment — we too will pursue by any means the perpetrators of this attack.”

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu (Likud) likewise praised Fuld’s heroism.

“With his last strength Ari fought heroically against the terrorist and prevented a graver tragedy,” Netanyahu said.

“He was an outstanding father to four children who fought for the truth on the side of Israeli hasbara.”

“The entire People of Israel is pained at the shocking murder of Ari Fuld this morning in Gush Etzion,” Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein (Likud) wrote in a Twitter post.

“Ari demonstrated rare courage, pursued the terrorist but unfortunately his strength did not last.”

Member of Knesset Motti Yogev (Bayit Yehudi) said that Fuld was a warrior in death and in life.

“Just as he fought during his lifetime to honestly portray the people of Israel, so too in his death, Ari overcame his murderer in order to prevent further harm to civilians.”

“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 MK Ksenia Svetlova.

Fellow Zionist Union lawmaker Eitan Cabel also praised Fuld’s “act of heroism, which should not be taken for granted,” as “saving the lives of others.”

In a statement, the National Union party eulogized Fuld as a “lover of the land who fought for it, a man of truth, caring and kind. He advocated for Eretz Yisrael with all his might, in Israel and around the world.”