On Sunday there was an enormous loss in Israel. Ari Fuld the lion is gone. Even the Prime Minister of Israel Netanyahu paid his tribute to this remarkable man, who fought for Israel even till his last moment. How does that matter to me as a Taiwanese? I was devastated by this news. The influence of Social Media is greater than one could imagine. I don’t think I’d ever forget Ari. And I just have to write about him, even though I don’t know him….. I don’t want to forget about him.
How Did I Find Out Ari Fuld’s Israel Defense Page?
After 4 years of not using Facebook, I decided that social media is needed for my blog on Israel in Chinese. So I came back to Facebook, right before the epic move of the US Embassy to Jerusalem. So accidentally, I found Ari’s page who was doing a lot of LIVE videos. The first video I saw was how he was pushing hard questions on BDS activists. And I was pretty amazed by him.
Later on through his videos, I went to a factory in Samaria, saw the opening ceremony of a park or intersection named by Druze soldiers, watched his talk shows which he kept interrupting his opponent, went to western wall several times, and watched rockets firing in open sky near Gaza, and saw how the Supreme Court was demolishing a nicely built house claimed by some Arab etc.
I even shared about his dream about the Third Temple in my Chinese blog. The event was followed by Tisha B’av and the falling of 100kg stone from the western wall, and then the blood moon. The message in his dream was powerful!
And I sincerely hoped that his voice and desire for the Jewish people’s unity is heard. So when the PM Netanyahu released a statement of condolence on Ari, and I was genuinely glad that Ari was honored by the PM, he deserves it.
In the name of every citizen of Israel, I send my condolences to the family of Ari Fuld, who was murdered today in a terrorist attack in Gush Etzion. With his last strength, Ari fought heroically against the terrorist and prevented a greater tragedy. Ari was a wonderful father to four children. He was an advocate for Israel who fought to spread the truth about Israel. May his memory be a blessing.
What happened to Ari Fuld?
Ari’s facebook page constantly got deleted so his friend Azi Abelow was added to admin, which we only found out after Ari’s death. And I was following Azi’s page too prior to this, so it did surprise me to know that he and Ari were childhood friends and that they used to meet everyday to strategize.
So Azi took us back to what happened. Ari was killed on Sunday, the first working day of the week in Israel.
This was just outside a mall, Ari was standing by a parking lot. While Ari was on his phone, he was stabbed from behind. 
Azi said Ari was probably replying to WhatsApp. The last message he received from Ari from the WhatsApp group was just 8 minutes before he got murdered. 
According to medical science, Ari should have fallen right when he was attacked. Instead he was chasing the terrorist, and he shot him before he was going for the next victim (a lady who made him falafel…) Ari was sent to a hospital but it was too late.
Was Ari targeted? According to Azi, it is a scary thought to think so, but it is highly probable. From my point of view, I think Israeli activists on social media who are defending for Israel are all targets. Ari was a fighter, and I think he would have done the same, knowing this would cost him his life at the age of 46.
How Ari Fuld Changed Me?
If Ari Fuld taught me one thing, that’s Chutzpah. Ari was remarkable in talking, analyzing, and responding. He was never shy in confronting fake accusations on Israel. Yes Ari was crazy for the Jewish state and Jewish people! I truly appreciate his ‘narrative’, which he made every effort to share with us online.
Because of him, I wrote about BDS movement on my travel blog in Chinese a few months ago. Even in Chinese world where antisemitism is rare, I received criticisms. But I tried to express myself more and became more open in topics that I wanted to avoid. I realized that I cannot pick and choose my love for Israel. Either I stand with Israel, or I don’t. There’s nothing in between.
Of course I’m not Ari, I’m still myself and I talk in my own voice, but it is because of Ari I started to believe the importance of having one more voice from me for Israel.
When Ari was taken away from us, it was heartbreaking because it felt like I lost someone that I quietly consulted…
Ari’s friend Azi said we should look at two bright sides, one is at least Jewish people have a homeland to defend now. If this happened 70 years ago, then the Jewish people would be expelled, killed or children being kidnapped. And secondly, Jewish people celebrate LIFE. When the enemy is wants to destroy, the Jewish people knows that they have been living on this land since 3000 years ago. They had their enemies back then, but they are the ones who are still living!!
That is actually true, for me, as a Christian from Taiwan, when I see Jewish people in the promised land, I see the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob keeping his promise. It makes the words of Bible real. Israel is God’s witness.
Behold, Adonai has proclaimed
to the end of the earth:
Say to the Daughter of Zion,
“Behold, your salvation comes!
See, His reward is with Him,
and His recompense before Him.” (Isaiah 62:11)
Redemption is near. And so we continue to pray for the peace of Jerusalem.
There are many comments like “How can Israel oppress Palestinian?” or “Can’t you see how Palestinians live?” But which side do I take on Israeli-Palestinian conflict as a believer in the Bible? No doubt, I am on God’s side. God’s political standpoint is mine. He said to Abram
My desire is to bless those who bless you, but whoever curses you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.
If we as Christian believe in the words of God, the logic is plain simple here! Blessing Israel is the way to go! There’s nothing else for us to judge. Only God gets to judge Israel, not us. I’m not upset that God chose Israel to be His chosen people. God has His logic, and choosing one people doesn’t mean He is neglecting the rest of us. The Bible says,
Do not let a son of a foreigner who has joined himself to Adonai say,
‘Adonai will surely exclude me from His people.”
Nor let the eunuch say,
‘Behold, I am a dry tree.’” (Isaiah 56:3)
Each of us has a unique role to play. We as gentiles can witness how God keeps His covenant with His people. We can be audience applauding for His awesomeness. Who am I to judge God and call Him unfair? He has provided salvation to all of us, and wraps us in His perfect love.
I admit that we are not perfect. Humans make mistakes. I know that not all collateral damages are all necessary. Hence I pray to the living God that no more lives will be lost on this land. And I will keep praying for people on this land, and remind this promise keeping God to remember the promise that He knew He would keep.
“You who remind Adonai,
take no rest for yourselves,
And give Him no rest until He establishes
and makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth.
Terrorists cannot take down the Jewish nation. Israel has God on their back, not because Israel is good, but because God is keeping His promise sworn to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.
The impact that Ari brought me was to find something that you can die for. He fought a good fight, he gave his 100% when he could, and he is still making positive impacts after he is gone. That’s remarkable.
So thank you Ari, though I am really sad. 
