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Photo: Amit Sha'al
The IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Gadi Eisenkot
Photo: Amit Sha'al

Eisenkot praises Ari Fuld as a 'devoted warrior'

During a ceremony honoring the fallen soldiers of the Paratroopers Brigade, IDF chief commends Fuld's efforts to prevent harm to others even after he was wounded; ‘he prevented a much bigger attack.’

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Gadi Eisenkot commended on Monday the late Ari Fuld—a former IDF paratrooper who was stabbed to death by a terrorist in Gush Etzion Sunday—for his efforts to prevent harm to others while severly injured, saying he was a "devoted warror."

 

 

Eisenkot's comments were made at a commemoration ceremony for the fallen soldiers of the Paratroopers Brigade at Tel Nof Airbase, which was attended by Deputy Chief of the General Staff Maj. Gen. Aviv Kochavi. GOC Central Command Maj. Gen. Nadav Padan, Transportation and Intelligence Minister Yisrael Katz, former Prime Minister Ehud Barak, and former IDF chiefs of staff Shaul Mofaz, Moshe "Bogie" Ya'alon, and Benny Gantz.

 

The IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Gadi Eisenkot at the ceremony Monday (Photo: Amit Sha'al)
The IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Gadi Eisenkot at the ceremony Monday (Photo: Amit Sha'al)
  

 

During the ceremony, Eisenkot commended Fuld's efforts to neutralize the terrorist and prevent harm to others even after he was wounded.

 

"The attack in Gush Etzion took the life of Ari Fuld, a reserve paratrooper. He was a devoted warrior until his very last moment. He tried to thwart the terrorist using all of his remaining strength, thereby preventing a much bigger attack," Eisenkot said. 

 

The lat Ari Fuld
The lat Ari Fuld

The chief of staff then addressed the bereaved families. "From the moment officers appeared on your door step delivering terrible news, every day is a day of remembrance and infinite longing. Thoughts of unfulfilled dreams, and the life he could have had if he were still with us," the IDF chief said. 

 

"All we can do is be worthy of their sacrifice and make a great effort to continue on their path voluntarily, responsibly and faithfully to strengthen the State of Israel," the chief of staff added in reference to all murdered victims of terror.

 

Fuld
Fuld
  

 

Col. (res.) Yoni Ben Ari, the father of the late Maj. Hagai Ben-Ari, who was critically wounded during the 2014 Operation Protective Edge and passed away three years later, also spoke at the ceremony.

 

"We, as members of the bereaved families, have no privileges when it comes to governments decisions and policymaking, but we do have a moral standing in demanding that hatred be prevented—for the sake of unity. There may be disagreements, we don't have to be uniform, but we must be united. There are more connecting threads that unite us, than which separate us," Ben Ari said.

 

Ben-Ari with two of his children.
Ben-Ari with two of his children.
  

 

The IDF chief of staff met with religious military cadets Friday at the Har Etzion Yeshiva in Alon Shvut, a well-established and prestigious institution of the religious Zionist movement.

 

Eisenkot was joined by the head of the IDF Manpower Directorate, a senior IDF Spokesperson's Unit official, the Chief Military Rabbi and the Chief Reserve Officer,

 

The chief of staff then visited the yeshiva's sister institution, the women's Migdal Oz Academy, and met with their rabbinic staff.

 

In light of recent claims by rabbis that the religious rights of soldiers are being violated during their service, especially in officer training school, the religious cadets told the officers they do not feel that way and their values and beliefs are not being compromised.

 

During the visit, Eisenkot spoke with the yeshiva students at the study hall, and expressed his gratitude for their service.

 

The Chief of Staff with religious cadets  (Photo: Ido Cohen)
The Chief of Staff with religious cadets (Photo: Ido Cohen)
  

 

"Naturally, there are public debates in Israeli society, therefore I am especially happy to hear from cadets, graduates of the yeshiva, that they are successful in preserving their values alongside the friendships they foster with their fellow soldiers who come from various segments of Israeli society," Eisenkot stressed.

 

"I am concerned that only two-thirds of potential enlistees choose to enlist. My message to young people in Israel is to seek the most meaningful service possible. Serving as a combat soldier is the most significant form of service," he added.

 

In response to a question about a soldier who is ordered to compromise on his ideals and beliefs, Chief of Staff Eisenkot said: "When there is a blatantly illegal order, the soldier must not obey. During my 40 years of service, I have encountered only a few cases in which illegal orders have been issued."

 

“When a soldier is convinced that the order he received from his commander is clearly illegal and contradicts his values, the soldier must refuse to obey the order. The soldier must know that the order will be investigated and if he was right and it was in stark contrast to his values and beliefs, he will be cleared, but if not, he will have to face the consequences,” the chief of staff concluded.

 


פרסום ראשון: 09.18.18, 12:08
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