Uri Zaki, Ari Fuld’s left-wing sparring partner, grieves his friend

Ari Fuld, 45, father of four, was murdered on Sunday in the Gush Etzion terror attack. Fuld chased and shot the terrorist after he was stabbed, preventing the perpetrator from harming others.Originally from New York, Fuld lived in Efrat (a settlement in Gush Etzion, in the West Bank). His wife, family and friends mourned him and emphasized his courage and dedication to his country and religion. Well-known left-wing activist Uri Zaki, spouse of Meretz chairwoman Tamar Zandberg, mourned the death of his colleague and sparring partner. “I’m shocked and pained [to hear of] the vile murder of my friend Ari Fuld,” wrote Zaki on Twitter.Fuld and Zaki hosted a political talk show on ILTVNews. Although strictly on complete opposite ends of the political spectrum, Zaki said to Army Radio Monday morning, “We mainly agreed that we both want the best for the State of Israel. After the broadcast, we would sit down for a bottle of whiskey”.

המום וכואב את הרצח הנתעב של חברי ארי פולד. יחד הגשנו תכנית כשנה בערוץ @ILTVNews. תהום אידיאולוגית היתה פעורה בינינו, אך השארנו זאת למסך. תנחומיי הכנים למשפחתו. יהי זכרו ברוך. pic.twitter.com/NW9Zs0k6FB

— Uri Zaki (@urizaki) September 16, 2018

Zaki is founder of the political group Democracy Defense Front and is former CEO of B’tselem, the controversial Israeli human rights group that has been accused of unfairly portraying IDF soldiers. He was an active member of the left-wing party Meretz, but resigned in March to support the rise of his spouse and fellow party member Zandberg, who became chairwoman.Meanwhile, Fuld was a prominent right-wing figure and pro-Israel advocate. He served in an elite paratroopers unit in the IDF reserves and was on the Efrat emergency squad. He also taught martial arts to the kids in the town. His family and friends described him as a hero. “You were always running toward danger instead of away from it. You fought for what you believe in. You left behind a legacy for the entire world,” said his wife, Miriam.Part of a strong political and ideological family, Fuld’s brother Eytan is the spokesman for MK Bezalel Smotrich of the right-wing party Bayit Yehudi. “An immense ideological divide separates us, but we left that on-screen,” wrote Zaki. “My sincerest condolences to his family.”Tovah Lazaroff contributed to this report.