Financial Advisor, Writer, Zionist, American Patriot and Conservative
Meeting Renowned Conservative Pundit Ben Shapiro in Israel before October 7th
The writer Joseph Scutts with renowned Conservative pundit Ben Shapiro in Jerusalem at President Herzog's Residence (photo courtesy of the writer)
Almost three years ago in October of 2023, I was visiting Israel for my annual trip to Jerusalem for the High Holidays. While there, I made it a point as I always do to maximize the precious time with my dear family in Jerusalem and visit the ancient and Holy sites such as the Western Wall, the tomb of the Patriarchs and Matriarchs, the mystic city of Safed and Tiberius and much more. In addition to making these sentimental visits, I also have a tradition of visiting President Herzog’s Residence for his annual Sukkot Festivity where he invites hundreds of guests to visit and partake in the celebrations of the High Holidays. During that first week of October, I met and befriended Ben Shapiro who was visiting with his wife and kids for the High Holidays, in which he was invited personally as a guest by the President of Israel as well. When we met, I conveyed that I was a very big fan of the work that he does advocating for both Conservative values and for the Nation of Israel on a daily basis.
Ben Shapiro is an American conservative polit
What made this visit to Israel so different from any other one of my annual visits was that it was the end of an era. When Ben and I met at President Herzog’s residence on October 2nd, 2023, we both ended up taking one of the last flights out of Israel back to the States on El-Al before October 7th. Later that week on Thursday Evening, October 5th, I saw Ben at Ben Gurion Airport, in which we were checking in for our 1am flight back to the US on October 6th and reflected with him and his wife how nice it was meeting at the President’s Residence. They agreed and it was truly a beautiful day and the end of an era as we would know it.
Within 24 hours of my return back to NYC, I received word in Synagogue during the Sabbath and Holiday of Shemini Atzeret that there was an attack in Israel with hundreds who were killed. As I sat in Synagogue for the end of the High Holidays, I received word from security downstairs who were filling me in on the tragic events as they transpired and giving me a minute by minute update. It was a surreal feeling as I had just been in Israel for the High Holidays and was now hearing something that no one can truly comprehend and on such a massive scale. I emailed Ben that next week regarding how we were literally just in Israel for the High Holidays and that the new World that we are living in would be very different, in which he was truly in shock as well.
Ben Shapiro has frequently stated that within 48 hours of speaking out about the initial October 7th attacks, he experienced a dramatic surge in personal, identity-based antisemitic vitriol and online attacks. He has argued that the rapid rise of pro-Hamas sentiments and protests among younger generations and college students reflects a broader cultural breakdown and the influence of radical leftist frameworks on higher education. Shapiro argues that the reaction to October 7th—particularly widespread student protests and left-wing anti-Israel sentiment on U.S. college campuses—exposed a moral decay and a “victim-victimizer” mentality fostered by critical theory and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) frameworks. He has criticized conventional media and platforms like TikTok for enabling anti-Western narratives, while asserting that Israel’s public relations strategy should focus less on superficial imagery and more on exposing adversaries as anti-Western terrorists.
Shapiro staunchly defends Israel and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), arguing that lasting peace in the region requires a decisive military victory to completely crush Hamas and eliminate the threat. He has stated that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) operate with extreme care and meticulousness in urban warfare, arguing that Israel prioritizes ground strategy over total destruction despite having complete air superiority. Ben is a prominent American conservative commentator and one of the most vocal international defenders of Israel and the Israel Defense Forces. Shapiro has stated that he does not merely just accept the actions of the Israeli government and the IDF, but actively celebrates and lauds them in their military campaigns against groups like Hamas and Hezbollah. Shapiro eloquently argues that Israel exercises meticulousness and restraint in its urban warfare strategy despite possessing complete air superiority, choosing a slower ground approach to minimize broader devastation. Shapiro frequently asserts that defending Israel requires cutting through hostile media narratives and confronting what he rightfully terms genocidal enemies in the region.
The true genocide occured October 7th when 1,300 Israelis and innocent people of all walks of life lost their lives and 250 Israelis were taken hostage. Day after day, Ben worked tirelessly to convey that Israel was fighting a right and moral War against evil. As someone who is a leader of the Jewish community in NYC, whose family lives in Jerusalem and that is involved in over 10 Israel based and Jewish advocacy Organizations, I am very proud to have met Ben Shapiro who (as a fellow Orthodox Jew and Israel Advocate) fights the good fight on a daily basis. There are two battles that are currently going on, the battle on the physical front in War and the battle of public opinion in the media. As we fight the lies and slander of the left that paint a false picture of what is truly going on in Israel (with the IDF being the most moral Army in the World), it is up to each and every one of us to ensure that we expose the lies and bring to light the truth. I want to thank Ben Shapiro for all of the great work that he does and may we continue to move from strength to strength as we fight the good fight on a daily basis.
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