Ari was murdered on Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018. A terrorist snuck up behind him outside the shopping mall at Gush Etzion Junction in broad daylight and stabbed him in his upper back. With his last ounce of strength, Ari pursued the terrorist and managed to shoot him, only to collapse from his wounds. He succumbed to his injuries a short time later.
He leaves behind his parents, Yonah and Mary Fuld, his wife Miriam, four children between the ages of 13 and 22, and four brothers. He was 45 years old.
He leaves behind a long legacy of activism for Israel. He founded the organization Standing Together, which provides support for soldiers at checkpoints, served in an elite paratrooper unit in the IDF, and hosted an online talk show where he frequently debated critics of Israel. He also was a popular pro-Israel speaker in Israel and the US, a member of the Efrat emergency squad, a black belt in karate, and an active participant on numerous online forums on behalf of Israel.
His friend Uri Pilichowski:
“Ari Fuld was a Jewish hero. He grew up in America in a home that was filled with love. His parents loved their children, they loved the Jewish people, they loved God, the Torah, and they loved the land of Israel. That love instilled in their children a confidence that allowed them to approach life with a feeling that they could do anything.
“Ari epitomized the confidence that he could do anything. Ari was a new brand of Jew. He was a warrior. He fought for Israel on the battlefield and in the media. He loved the land of Israel and its people and long before he was killed this morning, he gave his life to Israel. He knew he could make a difference and he set out to do so.”
Another friend Stephan Leavitt wrote in tribute:
“Ari was larger than life. His deeds matched his words. His family, defending the Jewish people, teaching Torah and supporting IDF soldiers – that was his world.
“When Ari talked, you knew you were hearing the truth, because he believed it with all his heart and soul. Even in the end – despite his critical wounds, Ari chased after the terrorist who had stabbed him, shot and neutralized him, so that the same terrorist wouldn’t harm anyone else.”
Ari, a true hero of the Jewish people, defended Israel day in and day out, online and in person. He died as he lived, fighting those who hate Israel. His final act, after he was stabbed, was to chase and shoot the terrorist who stabbed him. May his memory be a blessing.