In Defence of Israel and Western Civilisation

On Thursday 26 March 2026, at a B’nai B’rith Victoria event in Melbourne, I was afforded the honour of delivering the annual Human Rights Oration. This address sits within a distinguished tradition of speakers who have shaped public discourse on human rights, antisemitism, and the responsibilities of liberal democracies. In 2025, the oration was delivered by Alex Ryvchin, Co-Chief Executive Officer of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry—an influential voice in articulating the challenges facing Australia’s Jewish community and the broader Western world. In 2024, the address was delivered by Andrew Butt SC, one of Australia’s leading barristers and a distinguished authority in commercial and property law, bringing intellectual rigour and legal insight to the platform.

Founded in 1843, B’nai B’rith is one of the world’s oldest Jewish service organisations, with a proud legacy of defending Jewish life, advancing human rights, and strengthening democratic values. For more than 180 years, it has stood as a bulwark against hatred and indifference—mobilising communities, advocating for justice, and reminding us that civil society endures only when individuals step forward with conviction and agency.

What follows is the address as delivered on the evening. It is offered in full, without embellishment or revision, in the belief that clarity matters in a time of confusion. The themes explored—antisemitism, civilisational confidence, moral responsibility, and the defence of Israel—are not abstract.

They are immediate, practical, and consequential. This oration was intended not merely to describe the moment we are living through, but to help orient those willing to engage with it—and to encourage a shift from observation to action.

Human Rights Oration: “Israel and the Defence of Western Civilisation”