Efrat resident Miriam Fuld, whose husband Ari was murdered by a Palestinian in September, wrote a scathing letter last week criticizing the Israel Defense Forces for not demolishing the home of the terrorist.
Ari Fuld, 45, was stabbed near the Gush Etzion Junction south of Jerusalem. He managed to shoot the attacker, 17-year-old Khalil Jabarin, and wound him, but ultimately succumbed to his injuries.
The IDF demolishes the homes of terrorists as a means of deterring future perpetrators and their families. It has already made preparations for demolishing Jabarin's home, but has given his family more time to challenge this decision.
In the letter, addressed to GOC Central Command Maj. Gen. Nadav Padan, Miriam Fuld wrote: "I have a simple question – why has the decision to demolish the lowly terrorist's home not been carried out?"
She stressed that she wanted this to be done "not because I seek revenge, but because I want to bolster our deterrence and save lives."
U.S.-born Ari Fuld worked as an English-language internet commentator on current affairs and the weekly Torah portion. He was known for his hard-line nationalist ideology and strong support for the Israeli military. According to his Twitter account, he had planned to go on a lecture tour in the United States in November.
Matan Peleg, chairman of the right-wing organization Im Tirtzu, voiced his support for the widow.
"There is only one way to stop this terrorist enterprise, by creating real deterrence, and the first order of business must be destroying terrorist homes within 24 hours [of an attack]," he said.
The IDF Spokesperson's Unit issued a statement saying, "The decision to demolish the terrorist's home is currently under review by security officials."
Jabarin was scheduled to appear before a military court on Monday for the start of his trial.
