In defence of Israel and Western values

The threats that currently face Israel represent dangers to democracies worldwide, decorated former Australian Army Colonel Michael Scott CSC says.

It is for this reason that Scott, who served 30 years in the Australian Defence Force including two years with UN peacekeeping forces in Israel, has written and released A Light Still Burns: Israel and the Values Worth Defending.

The book – a collection of essays including some pieces that have been published by The AJN – represents Scott’s transition from his military service to founder and CEO of the 2023 Foundation, a global charity combating antisemitism.

Scott, who describes himself as a “non-Jewish, secular, apolitical veteran and unapologetic Zionist”, believes threats to Israel and the Jewish community also threaten Australia and Western democracies.

“I can see with a level of clarity that evades most non-Jews across the West, that those that threaten Israelis have wider purposes or wider intentions,” he said.