Speech to rally against terrorism

Ladies and gentlemen, Shalom. Salaam. Namaste. G’Day.

My name is Michael Scott. I am the Founder of The 2023 Foundation—a nascent global charity to combat antisemitism. Before founding the charity, I served for more than thirty years in the Australian Army, rising to the rank of Colonel. My operational service included deployments to East Timor, Bougainville, Iraq, and two tours of Afghanistan. From July 2019 to September 2021, I was a resident of Jerusalem—Israel’s eternal capital—while seconded to the United Nations. My mission area included Israel, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and Egypt.

It’s been a difficult few years, and the past twelve months have been especially painful. Indian and Iranian communities in Australia continue to face disturbing incidents of violence, intimidation, and foreign interference. For Iranian Australians, the threats are both local and transnational. Regime surveillance and the harassment of family members in Iran—targeted simply because their loved ones spoke out here. These are not distant concerns; they are part of our shared Australian reality.

And so I say to you today: I see you. I hear you. I stand with you.

I was not expecting the chants of “Gas the Jews” and “F*** the Jews” at the Sydney Opera House on 9 October 2023. I turned to my wife and said, “Sweetheart, I must do something. I will not be a bystander.”