Staff Sergeant Ari Weiss, 22: WHEN GOOD, BEAUTIFUL YOUNG PEOPLE ARE KILLED BY VERMIN SCUM

Ha'aretz ^ | By Baruch Kra, Ha'aretz Correspondent and Ha'aretz Staff

[Cinnamon Girl]

Staff Sergeant Ari Weiss, 22, who was killed Monday evening when Palestinian gunmen opened fire on an IDF position in a house in the West Bank city of Nablus, immigrated with his family to Israel from Dallas, Texas in 1992.

Weiss, who lived in Ra'anana, attended the Noam Yeshiva in Pardes Hanna and enlisted in the Nahal Brigade just over two years ago.

"Ari hated it when there were arguments and he always used to act as a peacemaker," said one of his friends.

Another friend said that Weiss "did not love the army, but he loved the people he was with (in the army)."

Several hours before the gun battle in Nablus, Ari called his brother Eli, also a soldier.

"My dear brother, the last time I spoke to you, three hours before you were killed, we talked for a few minutes. I said that I needed to go and I'll call you back. Never in my life have I regretted anything so much as saying those words. My dear brother, you were always there for every one of us when we needed you," Eli said at the funeral.

"What I most want people to remember about Ari is his heart. They have taken the most precious soul from our family," Eli said.

Weiss' father, Stewart, has served as a rabbi for the English-speaking congregation in Ra'anana, as director of the Jewish Outreach Center in the town, and columnist for the Jerusalem Post.

Weiss was buried at 3 P.M. Tuesday in the military cemetery in his home town. He is survived by his parents, two brothers and three sisters.

[Cinnamon Girl]

MEANWHILE, KOFI ANNAN AND THE U.N. ARE SCREECHING THAT ISRAEL HAS MISTREATED ARAFAT, AND THE SO CALLED POET LAUREATE OF NEW JERSEY HAS BLAMED THE JEWS FOR 9-11 AND NO ONE BUT CONSERVATIVES CARE.

[Trickyguy]

The guy left the US to go fight for his religion...hmmm, that sounds familiar.

[Alberta's Child]

Interesting chain of logic there. The guy moved to Israel with his family in 1992, which meant that he was ten years old at the time.

[Trickyguy]

Could have come back. That's logical, too.

[Alberta's Child]

And I could move back to any one of a number of places where my ancestors came from over the last 500 years. What's the point?

[Hugin]

Could have come back. That's logical, too.

So by your logic nobody who ever immigrated to the US, even as a child, should ever fight for their adopted country? They should just go back where they came from?

[Salgak]

And he could have moved to Upper Kreplachistan. Your point ? He grew up in Israel, and very likely thought of himself as an Israeli. . .

[Cinnamon Girl]

Israel is our ally. He was fighting for the democratic state and his right to live free. What's your deal?

[mhking]

Thou soundest like thou hast a problem with the subject of yon article...

[Alouette]

Tue Oct 1,12:35 PM ET

Israeli soldiers carry the flag-draped coffin of Israeli Sgt. Ari Weiss, 22, during his funeral in the city of Ra'anana near Tel Aviv Tuesday, Oct. 1 2002. Weiss was killed Monday by Palestinian gunmen in the West Bank city of Nablus. (AP Photo/Eitan Hess-Ashkenazi)

Tue Oct 1,12:21 PM ET

Family and friends of Israeli Sgt. Ari Weiss, 22, cry during his funeral in the city of Ra'anana near Tel Aviv Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2002. Weiss was killed Monday by Palestinian gunmen in the West Bank city of Nablus. First from left is Eli, the brother of Ari Weiss, others are unidentified. (AP Photo/Eitan Hess-Ashkenazi).

Tue Oct 1,11:45 AM ET

The sister and brother of slain Israeli soldier Ari Weiss, 22, from Raanana, throw a flower into the grave during his military funeral, October 1, 2002. Weis was killed during an exchange of fire with Palestinian gunmen in the center of the West Bank city of Nablus, September 30, 2002, where Israeli troops have imposed curfews since June following suicide bombings in Israel. REUTERS/Ofer Vaknin

Tue Oct 1,11:32 AM ET

The father of slain Israeli soldier Ari Weiss, from Raanana, looks on (with hands on his head) as his son's body is lowered into an open grave at a military funeral on October 1, 2002. Weis was killed during an exchange of fire with Palestinian gunmen in the center of the West Bank city of Nablus on September 30, 2002, where Israeli troops have imposed curfews since June following suicide bombings in Israel. REUTERS/Ofer Vaknin

[contessa machiaveli]

he fought for his adopted country, which BTW, is an ally of the US. you have issues, don't you.

[adam stevens]

I say the Israelis should have free reighn to do whatever they want to the "Palestinians."

[adam stevens]

How dare you compare Israel to Muslim fanatics? You or I might not be Jewish but I don't see Jews blowing up buildings to kill innocents. No I see one religion doing that.

[mountaineer]

Meanwhile, "Brigadier General Muhammad Masri, head of the Political Security Department at the Palestinian General Intelligence Service, openly admits that the PA has the power to stop Hamas from carrying out terrorist attacks against Israeli civilians—but they won’t, for political reasons," littlegreenfootballs reports. Full story here.

[TheEngineer]

Interesting chain of logic there. The guy moved to Israel with his family in 1992, which meant that he was ten years old at the time.

Excellent point, and good reply.... to someone who I suppose was trying to make a case for moral equivalence between this guy and John Walker Lindh. It made me want to vomit.

[American Soldier]

Ok, so what if he had left for Israel at age 20? What of it?

He is just as deserving of respect as those Americans who left the U.S. to fight for Britain before the rest of the country woke up during WWII, or for Poland under Pilsudski when the Russians nearly conquered the country after WWI, or for Texas when they sought independence from Mexico.

[Cinnamon Girl]

Oh my G-d. Those poor kids.

[Alberta's Child]

The point he raised would have been a good one, under different circumstances. One of the best-kept secrets about Israel today is the settlements in the West Bank are largely occupied by recent arrivals from the U.S. and Eastern Europe. This is one of the major points of contention between the Palestinians and the Israeli government.

[Alouette]

The "Palestinians" demand a completely ethnically-cleansed, Jew-free "Palestinian State." Do you think that this is a basic human right?

[laker_dad]

Just for the record, isn't service in the armed forces manditory in Israel?

[Yehuda]

killed by brave pals hiding behind kids throwing rocks.

Time for carpet bombing.

[mhking]

I love LGF...

[isthisnickcool]

The guy left the US to go fight for his religion...hmmm, that sounds familiar.

And what have YOU fought for lately?

This man was fighting to protect his country and his fellow countrymen. And almost 20% of those countryman are NOT JEWISH. This guy was fighting for Israeli Arabs and Christians too.

So what that he was born in the US? We have had Medal of Honor winners that were immigrants. And there have been many Americans that fought and died for other countries.

He died for his country. His chosen country. Show the man some respect!

[Alberta's Child]

I was talking specifically about the situation in the occupied territories. If you had a property dispute with your neighbor and he began populating the contested land with people from Brooklyn, NY, then I think you'd have a reason to complain about it.

[Alouette]

This young soldier belonged to the Nahal Haredi ("ultra-Orthodox") brigade. Their uniform is a light blue shirt and blue pants, different from the IDF regular green.

[Alouette]

If you had a property dispute with your neighbor and he began populating the contested land with people from Brooklyn, NY, then I think you'd have a reason to complain about it.

That's not a reason, it's an excuse. The Arabs want EVERY LAST JEW removed from their "Palestinian" state, not only the U.S. born ones.

[MoGalahad]

The land belongs to Israel (Numbers 34). You and others like you seem to think you are greater than God because God himself gave that land to the sons of Israel. The Palestinians have no legitimate claim to any of that land; in fact part of present day Jordan rightfully belongs to Israel. You can war against God if you want but as for me and my house "we will serve the Lord".

[matthew_the_brain]

I still do not know why Mecca and Medina are not ashes. Islamist will not be happy until all infidels convert, become dhimmis, or be killed.

This Jihad has been going on for far too long, 14 centuries.


Matt the Brain is right again

[Alberta's Child]

The land belongs to Israel (Numbers 34).

The land may have belonged to Israel during the Old Testament, but didn't all of that change 2002 years ago?

Also, I have to laugh at any attempt to make some kind of connection between the Biblical "Israel" and a modern, secular state that has nothing more than a superficial connection to traditional Judaism.

[Alberta's Child]

Let's face it -- Time is on the side of the Arabs here. Israel measures time in hours and minutes, while Arabs measure it in years and decades.

Demographic reality is going to do for Islam what the sword never could. Israel has one of the lowest birthrates in the world today, which isn't exactly what you would expect from people who consider themselves a nation at risk.

[mgstarr]

You mean RCW2001 didn't post this? Wait, he doesn't care when the good guys get killed.

You wrote - "AND NO ONE BUT CONSERVATIVES CARE".
I just wish that all conservatives did.

[cubreporter]

May the soul of this young man rest in peace and may his little brother and sister know better times. May we ALL know better times.

[rdb3]

The land may have belonged to Israel during the Old Testament, but didn't all of that change 2002 years ago?

Nope.

Also, I have to laugh at any attempt to make some kind of connection between the Biblical "Israel" and a modern, secular state that has nothing more than a superficial connection to traditional Judaism.

Laugh if you wish, but I would suggest that you study the Bible far more carefully. You wouldn't "laugh" then.

[Alberta's Child]

Nope.

Forget about the religious issues here -- The Israel of the Old Testament effectively came to an end when the Romans sacked Jerusalem and destroyed the Temple in 72 A.D.

OK, so maybe it was 1,930 years ago.

[eshu]

One of the best-kept secrets about Israel today is the settlements in the West Bank are largely occupied by recent arrivals from the U.S. and Eastern Europe. This is one of the major points of contention between the Palestinians and the Israeli government.

Do Americans who relocate to Israel actually feel so OPPRESSED here that packing up and moving to the middle of a warzone seems like a better option than remaining in LA or Manhattan?

Very odd indeed.

[Alberta's Child]

I could never figure that out myself. I think the typical migrant from the U.S. to Israel is either a religious zealot from one of the ultra-Orthodox sects or a widow who supports herself with a substantial asset base in the U.S.

[Cinnamon Girl]

You two should be quiet. You don't know what you're talking about.

[Alberta's Child]

Please accept my apologies -- From this point forward I will clear all my FreeRepublic comments with you before I post them.

/sarcasm off/

[dennisw]

terrible!

[dennisw]

I check out LGF everyday! Pro Israel and anti-Jihad and the guy who runs it is not Jewish! So many of the posters are quite literate and eloquent.


http://www.littlegreenfootballs.com/weblog/weblog.php

[eshu]

I was asking a question (notice the "?") - your response did not address my question and was thus a non sequitor

[rdb3]

Forget about the religious issues here...

Can't do that. And no apologies.

[El Gato]

Just for the record, isn't service in the armed forces manditory in Israel?

Indeed it is. Active duty service time is fairly short, but they remain in the reserve for quite a long time. This guy may have been a regular full time soldier, but, just based on numbers, he was likely a called up reservist. Women are also drafted, just not into combat units, althoug they may be trained in combat missions, it's only so as to be trainers themselves. There are also more exemptions for women. IIRC married women aren't drafted, but since they draft at 18 or so, not so very many get that exemption.

[laker_dad]

Thanks for the info.