American UFC fighter Lando Vannata revealed he is Jewish through his mother during a tour of Ancient Shiloh in the Binyamin region, where he traveled ahead of the international GFN1 event. He spoke emotionally about his personal connection to the Jewish people and his maternal Jewish heritage at the site, which served as the location of the Tabernacle for 369 years.
Vannata subsequently visited the Western Wall in Jerusalem, where he placed tefillin on for the first time in his life. He documented and shared the moment on social media with his hundreds of thousands of followers.
Shortly after posting the video, his Instagram account reportedly lost approximately 1,900 followers. Those involved in organizing the visit attributed the decline to anti-Israel activity on social media following his public acknowledgment of his Jewish roots and visit to Israel.
Binyamin Regional Council head and Yesha Council chairman Israel Ganz praised Vannata's actions. "We are proud of Lando for not being afraid to proudly reveal his Jewish identity and his connection to the Land of Israel. The fact that this journey began here, in Ancient Shiloh, is especially moving," Ganz said.
Ganz called on Israelis to support Vannata on social media, stating: "Anyone who thinks people can be intimidated through boycott campaigns on social media is mistaken. I call on all Israeli citizens to show Lando that he is not standing alone-to visit his social media pages, follow him, and encourage him. Every show of support is a response to these attempts to silence him."
He further stated: "Those who stand by the truth ultimately prevail. We will continue bringing influential people from around the world to Ancient Shiloh and the Binyamin region so they can learn the true story of the Jewish people in the Land of Israel and become its ambassadors."