In 2018, Eytan Fuld faced an unimaginable tragedy when his brother, Ari Fuld, a well-known media personality and activist, was murdered in a terror attack in Gush Etzion. This week, Eytan and his family received the devastating news that the terrorist responsible for Ari’s death would be set free as part of a ceasefire agreement with Hamas.
Speaking with Arutz Sheva, Eytan described the moment he and his family found out about the release of his brother’s killer. “Saturday night I had my parents over and right after Shabbat ended, I got the message from friends and friends of friends who just wanted to be part and say that their heart is with us. It was a very tough moment, I felt a very strong stab in the stomach. I walked out of my room, told my parents, and spoke to my sister-in-law, Miriam. There was a lot of crying and a lot of pain.”
He expressed his sorrow, saying, “it’s not our pain, it’s the pain of the future, the pain of those who will suffer the consequences of what happens next because these murderers, these terrorists being let out, walking freely, what they have in mind is only murder and hate. That’s their goal in life and they’re going to continue doing what they’re doing. Our pain is for those who are going to feel it and go through what we’ve been going through in the past six years.”
Eytan also described the mixed emotions surrounding the hostage release, as his family welcomed home the hostages while grappling with the harsh reality of the deal. “It’s a very interesting feeling, holding these two issues side-by-side within me, everyone in my family expressed this. On the one hand, we rejoice without borders, our hearts bursting with happiness to see the girls come home. On the other hand, we understand the consequences of this terrible deal, and we know the Jewish people are going to suffer from these actions. I can’t explain holding these two feelings together, but I know that they are in me.”
In a powerful statement, Eytan sent a defiant message to Hamas: “Hamas in Gaza has to know that they will not rejoice from this release. They will not stand tall. The State of Israel, the people of Israel, the IDF will win this war. We’re going to continue this war, we’re going to wipe out Hamas because these animals can not continue living, they can not continue bringing brutality and murder to the world. We look into the eyes of the world and say, ‘We are going to carry this through, we are going to end Hamas’s horrible actions and we win, and the Jewish people will dance again.'”
Reflecting on his brother’s memory, Eytan shared how he and his family came together to ask, “What would Ari say today? Ari always knew how to say the right thing, and how to do the right thing, and that’s definitely a goal that we carry with us close to heart, saying and doing the things that Ari would do, holding his heritage and bringing it forward to the people of Israel and to the world.”
{Matzav.com Israel}