BRUSSELS—‘’There can be no justification for violence and terror,” Europeran Union Ambassador to Israel Emmanuele Giaufret said in a tweet as he reacted to the terror attack that claimed the life of a well-known pro-Israel advocate, Ari Fuld, on Sunday in the Gush Etzion junction.
A father of four, Fuld stood between the junction’s mall and the Rami Levi supermarket when he was stabbed in the back by Khalil Yusef Ali Jabarin, 17, a Palestinian from the city of Yatta in the South Hebron Hills.
Mortally wounded, Fuld chased his Palestinian attacker, jumping over a short stone wall and shooting him, before collapsing. Evacuated to Jerusalem’s Shaare Zedek Medical Center, he succumbed there to his wounds.
A dual citizen of Israel and the United States, Fuld, 45, lived in nearby Efrat and had been shopping in the mall at the time of the attack.
The EU ambassador sent his sent condolences to the family of Ari Fuld as did French ambassador to Israel Hélène Le Gal.
US Ambassador David Friedman ALSO tweeted a condolence message: “America grieves as one of its citizens was brutally murdered by a Palestinian terrorist.”
fuld, Friedman wrote, “was a passionate defender of Israel and an American patriot. He represented the best of both countries, and will be deeply missed. May his family be comforted and his memory be blessed.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu 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 (advocacy).”
American Jewish Groups Mourn Ari Fuld
Jewish groups in the U.S. from across the political spectrum expressed mourning for Ari Fuld.
The American Jewish Committee (AJC) tweeted, “Our hearts go out to the family of American-born Israeli Ari Fuld, who was stabbed to death today by a Palestinian terrorist. May his memory be a blessing.”
Pro-Israel activist group StandWithUs echoed the sentiment, saying, “May his memory be a blessing.”
The World Jewish Congress said, “Ari Fuld was a defender of Israel whose life was cut short in violence as he heroically confronted his attacker, saving the lives of other innocent bystanders,” and demanded an end to Palestinian incitement to terrorism.
Left-wing lobbying group J Street strongly condemned the killing, saying, “We’re horrified by this attack and deeply saddened by the murder of Ari Fuld, an American-Israeli activist and father of four. There can never be any excuse for this kind of violence. Our thoughts and condolences are with his family and community.”