To memorialize the brief but beautiful life of Israeli toddler Ariel Bibas, whom Hamas jihadis horrifically murdered along with his mother and baby brother Kfir, the Jerusalem fritillary butterfly has a new name.
Hamas jihadis kidnapped the whole Bibas family from their kibbutz on Oct. 7, 2023, subsequently killed mother Shiri and her two sons brutally, and gleefully informed father Yarden of their murder. Hordes of Palestinians joyfully cheered the coffins of the babies. Yarden returned as the family’s only survivor, but the Hebrew Language Academy wants to immortalize little Ariel’s memory.
The state of Israel posted on X April 4, “A butterfly now carries his name. The Hebrew Language Academy @HebAcademy has renamed the Jerusalem fritillary butterfly (Melitaea ornata) the Ariel fritillary, in memory of five-year-old Ariel Bibas—murdered in Hamas captivity along with his mother, Shiri, and baby brother, Kfir.”
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Israel added, “In a letter to Ariel’s father, Yarden Bibas, the Academy wrote: ‘Of all our country’s orange butterflies, this one should carry Ariel’s name. May it be a small comfort to you and an everlasting tribute to those lost in this tragic war.’” Little Ariel had bright red hair, and the group Stand With Us said he loved butterflies.
The Eastern Knapweed Fritillary, once called the “Orange Jerusalem Butterfly,” in Hebrew has been renamed as Orange Ariel in memory of 4-year-old Ariel Bibas, who was murdered along with his mother Shiri and baby brother Kfir by Palestinian terrorists in Gaza. Ariel loved butterflies, making the tribute even more emotional. 🦋🧡 May the memories of Ariel, Kfir, and Shiri forever be a blessing. 🕯️
— Stand With Us (@StandWithUs) Apr 5, 2025
In a recent appearance on CBS, grieving Yarden Bibas told how his family “were murdered in cold blood. Bare hands. They [Hamas] used to tell me, ‘It doesn’t matter. You’ll get a new wife, new kids. Better wife, better kids.’”
Bibas wore a shirt for his interview depicting his fellow hostages and former kibbutz neighbors David and Ariel Cunio. David was confirmed as alive in Gaza in February, and Yarden Bibas hopes, with some help from Donald Trump, he could be brought home. “We did everything together. He was with me in every big thing in my life. He was in my wedding, and now, probably the hardest thing that I have to move [on] with my life, and David is not with me,” Yarden explained. “I lost my wife and kids. Sharon [Cunio] must not lose her husband.”
"They (Shiri, Kfir, Ariel) were m*rdered in cold blood. With bare hands.
— lelemSLP (@lelemSLP) March 31, 2025
They (Gazans) used to tell me : It doesn't matter. You get a new wife. Get new kids. Better wife, better kids. They said it to me many times."
Yarden Bibas interview on "60 minutes". pic.twitter.com/84sOSwb13o
Thousands of loved ones are left grieving for the victims of Oct. 7, including murdered hostages, and the Israeli soldiers killed in the war that has raged since. No tribute can ever alleviate the suffering of those left behind, but at least Yarden Bibas knows that, despite a disturbing global tide of antisemitism, there will be many people around the world who will remember and honor Ariel, Kfir, and Shiri for years to come.
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