Parshat Beshalach Explains The Cause Of Oct. 7th

Israel is a miracle. A tiny country, surrounded by enemies, yet still standing strong, still thriving.

I lived in both Israel and Syria as a teenager, and I saw the difference firsthand. Israelis had something rare—unity. They worked hard, they laughed together, and they protected each other. It wasn’t just a country; it was a family.

That lesson stuck with me. When the Gaza War ended and terrorists attacked the Har Nof synagogue in Jerusalem, I knew I had to act. That’s how Time To Stand Up For Israel (TTSUFI) was born. It started as a small effort, but today, it’s an official NGO with one mission—defend Israel by bringing people together.

Yet, what I found in the pro-Israel movement shocked me. Instead of unity, I saw division. Some groups were Christian, some were against Netanyahu, some demanded a two-state solution, and some refused to work with non-Jews like me. Each one believed in Israel, but none could stand together.

Meanwhile, Israel’s enemies did the opposite. I saw them marching on Dam Square, their voices rising as one. They came from different backgrounds, different beliefs, but their goal was the same—destroy Israel. They set aside their differences to fight for their cause. But where was our unity?

What truly broke me was not the hatred of Israel’s enemies—I expected that. It wasn’t even the biased politicians, like Sigrid Kaag, whose ties to Fatah and friendship with Yasser Arafat were well known. No, the real heartbreak came from within.

I saw Jews waving the flag of “Palestine,” chanting for Israel’s destruction. I saw Norman Finkelstein, a Jew himself, standing at an anti-Israel rally in 2016, practically wishing for Hamas to bomb his own people. How could this be? How could Israel’s greatest strength—its unity—shatter from the inside?

Then came 2022. Israel held democratic elections, and Benjamin Netanyahu returned to power. Like him or not, the process was fair, the people had spoken. But just a month later, protests erupted—not just against policies, but against Israel itself. Flags of terrorists waved high, side by side with Israeli ones, as if the two could exist together.

And Israel’s enemies took note. As Israelis fought among themselves, Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran took advantage, growing stronger, bolder. The cracks in unity gave them an opening. And the unthinkable happened. The October 7th massacre.

Israel’s resilience has always relied on a strong sense of beshleach—a term that embodies duty, mission, and the unshakable responsibility to act for the greater good. Throughout history, this sense of purpose has driven Israel’s soldiers, leaders, and citizens to stand together in times of crisis. But unity isn’t just a battlefield necessity; it is the foundation of the Israeli state itself.

Even Israel’s parastatal institutions—those semi-governmental organizations that helped build and defend the nation before it even had formal statehood—were rooted in this principle. The Jewish Agency, the Haganah, and the Histadrut didn’t always agree on everything, but they understood one truth: survival depended on putting unity above division.

Today, that same unity is under threat—not from external enemies, but from within. Political infighting, ideological splits, and a refusal to find common ground are breaking the very shield that has protected Israel for generations. And when that shield weakens, Israel’s enemies are ready to strike. The October 7th massacre was not just a failure of intelligence or defense; it was a failure of national cohesion.

As an outsider, I see something that many in Israel seem blind to: Israel is too small to be divided. Too vulnerable to fight itself. This nation doesn’t have the luxury of internal war. When Israelis forget their unity, they hand victory to their enemies.

Yes, democracy means protest. It means debate. But Israel cannot afford to tear itself apart in the process. There are other ways to resist—ways that do not weaken the nation from within. Civil disobedience, withholding taxes, and powerful letters can make a point without handing propaganda victories to those who seek Israel’s destruction.

Israel’s greatest weapon has never been its military, its technology, or even its intelligence. It has always been its unity. The moment that breaks, Israel is exposed, vulnerable, and alone.

Israel cannot afford to forget the lessons of beshleach or the legacy of its parastatal foundations. If the nation is to stand strong, it must reclaim its unity—not just in war, but in every aspect of its existence.

Now is the time to set aside differences, remember the mission, and stand together once again.