Not a Suicide: Family Reveals the Truth Behind Combat Veteran’s Fatal Apartment Accident

The city of Dimona and the wider Israeli community are mourning the loss of Ari Goldberg, a 23 year old lone soldier who was found dead in his apartment last Wednesday. Goldberg, who immigrated to Israel from Virginia, was a combat engineer who had recently served on the front lines in both the Gaza and Lebanon theaters of the war. His death occurred just two days before his scheduled honorable discharge from the military, leading to widespread speculation on social media that he had taken his own life due to the psychological toll of combat. However, his family, friends, and the head of his pre military academy have come forward to vehemently deny these rumors, explaining that Goldberg was at a high point in his life and died as a result of a tragic, failed experiment in his home.

Eitan Zivan, the head of the Ruach HaNegev academy where Ari first prepared for his life in Israel, spoke about the young man’s vibrant spirit and his deep connection to the land. According to Zivan, Goldberg was an intensely curious individual who had grown up in a household in Virginia where firearms were common. He had a long standing fascination with mechanics and explosives, which drove his desire to serve in the Combat Engineering Corps. "He wanted to get to combat engineering, to blow up tunnels, to blow up the enemy," Zivan recalled. During his service, Goldberg successfully fought in intense environments, and by the time of his death, he had already registered for academic studies, purchased a vehicle, and was actively seeking post military employment.

Zivan emphasized that there was no suicide note, no sign of depression, and no indication that Goldberg intended to end his life. Instead, evidence from the scene suggested that Goldberg was experimenting with materials in his apartment, a hobby he had pursued since childhood, and something went tragically wrong. While Zivan admitted that the adrenaline and danger of the war likely pushed Goldberg toward more extreme behaviors and a diminished sense of fear, he insisted the soldier did not want to die. "He was not post traumatic in the sense that he decided to end his life because he couldn't bear it," Zivan explained, adding that Goldberg was "at the peak of his life" and succeeding in every venture he touched.

Dimona Mayor Benny Bitton also paid tribute to the soldier, noting how the local community had fully adopted him as one of their own. Goldberg frequently stayed with local families for Sabbath meals, often bringing homemade dishes or desserts. He was so enamored with the Negev desert that he refused suggestions to move to larger cities like Jerusalem or Beer Sheva, insisting that Dimona was his forever home. His funeral was held on Friday morning during a heavy rainstorm, where hundreds of residents, soldiers, and friends gathered to honor a man who left everything behind in America to fight for Israel. The Israel Defense Forces and the Israel Police have launched a joint investigation into the incident, with the military promising to continue supporting the family through this difficult time.