Israel Defence Forces are planning to demolish the home of a teenage terrorist who murdered Ari Fuld outside a Gush Etzion shopping mall last Sunday.
Sixteen-year-old Khalil Jabarin stabbed the father of four in the back in a sickening attack.
Thousands attended Fuld’s funeral at the Kfar Etzion settlement in the West Bank.
Fuld chased his attacker to prevent him causing further fatalities but was pronounced dead from his injuries after being rushed still conscious to Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem.
Jabarin was shot by a member of the public before being treated at Shaare Zedek.
The Palestinian village of Yatta, near Hebron, is the home to numerous terrorists guilty of killing Israeli citizens.
A deadly attack in Tel Aviv’s Sarona market killed four and wounded 16 people.
Family members and mourners waved Israeli flags during the funeral service.
“I don’t know how I will go on without you,” said Fuld’s widow, Miriam in a heartfelt eulogy.
“We were born 24 hours apart from one another, we didn’t know it would end like this.
“You fought for what you believed in, I promise to take care of the children. Your job is to look after us from above.”
Fuld’s daughter, Tamar, added, “My father always told me that if life is easy, something is not right whilst his son described him as “a fighter”.
Rabbi Yonah Fuld noted Israel’s loss as a country after the death of his son.
“Zion cries and the land of Israel cries,” he told mourners.
“Ari influenced thousands of people all over the world.”
“He was so strong, he was so full of life,” Rabbi Fuld added. “He celebrated every moment, every breath. How that voice can be silent.
“Our son was taken from us. He had the power and passion for his family and the land of Israel. He was a hero to all.”
Rabbi Fuld told mourners his son, who fought in the Second Lebanon War as a heavy machine gunner in the Paratroopers Brigade, understood why he fought for the land of Israel.
“He went to reserve duty every time he was called and mom always told him to stop, he would answer, “Until my last breath,” he explained.
Older brother Moshe, added: “So many people came here to pay their final respects. If there is one word to describe my brother it is simply, hero.
“Who can fight a terrorist, get out a gun, jump over a fence and shoot at the terrorist to stop him harming others.
“Ari, I am so sorry that I didn’t tell you about your greatness. You are a true giant.”
“My brother lived his life as a hero and died as a hero, he was a hero until the last moment,” commented another brother, Hillel.
Hailing from America, Fuld was a right-wing activist known for posting political viewpoints on Facebook page “Ari Fuld Israel Defense Page”.
An outspoken critic of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Fuld published videos and had hundreds of followers.
Fuld slated Netanyahu during the evacuation of an illegal settlement in Gush Etzion, and made his thoughts clear on settlement evacuation policies, Arab Knesset members, left-wing and BDS activists.
He was also vehemently against a ceasefire with Hamas.
Netanyahu paid respect to the Fuld family before the funeral with Bayit Yehudi chairman and Education Minister Naftali Bennett, describing him as an “Israeli hero”.
“In the name of every citizen of Israel, I send my condolences to the family of Ari Fuld,” he said. “With his last strength, Ari fought heroically against the terrorist and prevented a greater tragedy. “He was an advocate for Israel who fought to spread the truth about Israel.”
“Ari Fuld is an Israeli hero, he did not stop fighting until he neutralized the terrorist,” said Bennett “He was stabbed in the back and still ran after the perpetrator, pulled out a gun and fired before he collapsed, just to stop the terrorist from harming others.
“Our nation salutes the Fuld family.”
President Reuven Rivlin commented, “Unfortunately, despite the outstanding work done by the security forces to thwart terror attacks, the terrorist succeeded in carrying out the despicable attack.
“We don’t have the Iron Dome system to fight terror. Our battle against terror is long and tedious. However, the State of Israel will not be deterred by it.”
US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman described Fuld as an “American patriot”.
“America grieves as one of its citizens was brutally murdered by a Palestinian terrorist,” he tweeted.
“Ari Fuld was a passionate defender of Israel and an American patriot. He represented the best of both countries and will be deeply missed.”
US special Mideast advisor Jason Greenblatt added, “Words cannot express our feeling of loss as an American-Israeli, Ari Fuld, was stabbed to death by a Palestinian terrorist. I
“In Ari’s last breaths, he heroically immobilised the terrorist, saving many other lives.”.
IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot praised Fuld for trying to stop Jabarin harming others.
According to the IDF, the terrorist’s mother arrived at a checkpoint near Yatta and warned her son was to carry out a terror attack.
She offered no other information.
Officials investigating the murder believe Fuld was chosen at random and Jabarin, who had no criminal record, was unaware of Fuld’s social media posts.
Following the attack, Oded Ravivi, head of the Efrat Council, said Fuld spent his life combining Torah with self-defence.
Yesha Council Chairman Hananel Dorani said there had been delays in home demolitions of terrorists and called for action on Jabarin’s home.
“These delays damage our deterrence against deadly terror,” he explained.
“The demolition of terrorists’ homes must be carried out swiftly in order to strengthen our deterrence.
“The families who raise terrorists must know that terror attacks are not answered by us with silence and that they will pay the price.”
Gush Etzion Regional Council head Shlomo Naaman warned Arab residents about future attacks.
“Our Arab neighbour have to answer a very simple question, do they want to live with us here and behave like people or do they choose an aggressive path that entails a heavy price?” he said.
“We will not allow this to continue, the IDF will not allow it, the government will not allow it.
“Eventually the victory will be on our side and the violent struggle against us will not pay off.”
Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad issued statements praising the terror attack.