David Joel Ben-Rafael was born in 1948 in New York to Ralph and Helen Goldman.
David made aliyah in 1971 and after serving in the IDF he studied law. In 1979 he joined the legal department of the Foreign Ministry. He served in both London and Chicago and was appointed Israel consul in Argentina
On March 17, 1992 a car bomb exploded outside the Israel Embassy in Buenos Aires. The building almost collapsed completely. Four Israeli Foreign Ministry personnel were killed, including David.
David was buried in the Givat Shaul Cemetery in Jerusalem. He left behind his wife, Elisa, two children, Noa and Yonatan, and his parents, Ralph and Helen Goldman.
