In the aftermath of October 7, 2023, Ilan Benjamin ā cousin of murdered journalist Daniel Pearl ā made a stunning confession. For decades after Islamic terrorists beheaded his cousin in 2002, Benjamin remained steadfast in his progressive ideals. He advocated for peace, criticized Israel, and defended the Palestinian cause. Then came October 7.
“When you killed my family, I forgave you. When you killed my people, I forgave you. But when you killed my idealism, I had no forgiveness left,” Benjamin wrote. After Hamas terrorists massacred over 1,200 Israelis, including residents of the kibbutz where Benjamin once lived, his worldview collapsed. In a matter of hours, he transformed from peace advocate to staunch defender of Israel’s right to exist and protect itself ā what some now call an “October 8th Jew.”
Why was it so difficult for an intelligent, educated man like Benjamin to see reality until barbarism literally arrived at his doorstep? Why did it take such extreme violence to break through deeply held beliefs that had defined his identity for decades?
The Torah provides a compelling case study of this human tendency in the story of the ten spies. Moses sent twelve leaders ā princes of their tribes ā to scout the Promised Land. Yet ten returned with a report that paralyzed the nation with fear:
How could these great men ā whom the Torah itself describes as leaders and men of distinction ā get it so catastrophically wrong? And more importantly, why couldn’t they change their minds even when confronted with the truth by Joshua and Caleb?
Rabbi Yissachar Shlomo Teichtal offers a piercing analysis in his remarkable work Eim HaBanim Semeicha. What makes Rabbi Teichtal’s insight particularly powerful is that he himself underwent a dramatic transformation. Once a vehement anti-Zionist leader in pre-Holocaust Europe, the horrors he witnessed forced him to reconsider his opposition to Jewish return to the Land of Israel. Hiding from Nazis in an attic in Budapest, without access to books, he wrote his masterpiece entirely from memory before being murdered on a train to Mauthausen concentration camp in 1945.
Rabbi Teichtal writes: “Those who have a predisposition will not see the truth and will not concede to our words. All the evidence in the world will not affect them, for they are smitten with blindness, and their inner biases cause them to deny even things which are clear as day.”
He points directly to the spies as the prime example: “Who among us is greater than the spies? The Torah testifies that they were proper individuals. Nonetheless, since they were influenced by their desire for authority, they rejected the desirable land and led others astray, causing this bitter exile.”
The spies couldn’t change their minds because their opinions were entangled with their identities and interests. As Rabbi Teichtal explains: “This one has a good rabbinical position and this one has a profitable business or factory, or a prestigious job which provides satisfaction. They are afraid that their status will decline if they go to Israel. People of this sort are influenced by their deep-rooted, selfish motives to such an extent that they themselves do not realize that their prejudice speaks on their behalf.”
This psychological insight explains why changing our minds is so difficult. Our opinions are not merely external ideas we hold ā they become central to our identity. Changing our opinion feels like changing ourselves. And just as the spies would lose their positions of authority in a new land under Joshua’s leadership, we fear what we might lose if we admit we’re wrong.
What made Rabbi Teichtal different from most of his contemporaries? Unlike other rabbis who maintained their anti-Zionist views even as Jews were being slaughtered, he had the moral courage to admit he was wrong. As the evidence mounted that Jews had no future in Europe, he didn’t double down on his previous position. Instead, he wrote: “Where are all of the Torah centers of Poland, Lithuania, and Hungary? Do we still have a portion and an inheritance here? Are we not considered strangers by the inhabitants of these lands? They have devoured our money, our bodies, and our spirituality.”
This is the mark of true intellectual and spiritual integrity ā the willingness to evaluate evidence honestly, even when it contradicts our most cherished beliefs. The Bible demands this level of honesty. We don’t have the right to reinterpret Scripture to align with our personal or political preferences. We must instead allow Scripture to challenge and transform us.
Many today stand at a similar crossroads regarding Israel. The American Jewish establishment has clung to the two-state solution despite overwhelming evidence that it has failed. Like the spies who refused to believe God’s promise despite miraculous signs, many continue to advocate positions that reality has thoroughly discredited.
Right now, the World Zionist Congress elections present a critical opportunity to translate biblical wisdom into action. These elections will directly impact funding for Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria and determine whether Israel’s call for total victory against Hamas receives international support.
Israel365 Action (Slate #7) stands firmly on biblical principles. Like Esther, who insisted on complete victory over her people’s enemies, Israel365 Action believes in the necessity of destroying Hamas, removing radicalized elements from Gaza, and affirming the Jewish right to live in Judea and Samaria. These positions aren’t radical ā they’re the logical application of biblical truth.
The time for action is now. If you’re Jewish, your vote for Israel365 Action / Slate #7 is crucial. It costs just $5 to vote and only takes about 2 minutes of your time. Don’t wait ā vote Slate #7 TODAY.
Non-Jewish supporters can join Ten from the Nations, a movement of biblical supporters of Israel who stand with the Jewish people in this critical hour. Together, we can ensure that the lessons of the past lead to righteous action in the present.
The ten spies’ stubborn beliefs cost an entire generation their inheritance. Rabbi Teichtal awakened too late to save himself. Ilan Benjamin waited until slaughter reached his doorstep. But we still have a choice. Our enemies have torn away the masks of “peaceful coexistence,” giving us clarity if we have the courage to see it. The time for debate is over. Will you join those who face reality and fight for it, or cling to comfortable lies while the world burns? The future of Israel depends on which side of history you choose today.
