Speech to rally against terrorism
It is time. It is time for our light to shine. It is time to stand up.
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.”
1. I founded the 2023 Foundation soon after. The mission of The 2023 Foundation is to combat antisemitism through lived personal experience.
Our vision is to nurture tomorrow’s non-Jewish upstanders—not bystanders.
And in this mission—we find common cause. Because today, good people of all backgrounds are finding their voice.
Jewish people are not the only ones being persecuted. We live in dangerous and frightening times—but also in times of great opportunity.
The great Mahatma Gandhi, once spoke for all humanity when he said:
“You may never know what results come of your actions. But if you do nothing, there will be no result.”
That you are here today is proof positive that you have chosen action. We are gathered to stand against terrorism—in all its forms and faces.
To reject those who glorify murder—whether in Tel Aviv or Tehran, Mumbai or Western Sydney.
The Rebbe, Menachem Mendel Schneerson of blessed memory once reminded us:
“A little bit of light dispels a great deal of darkness.”
So let me tell you about two extraordinary leaders—two light-bearers—who came from your heritage.
Firstly, we remember Cyrus the Great—the Persian who freed the Jews.
In the 6th century BCE, Cyrus the Great, the founder of the Persian Empire, conquered Babylon. There he found the Jews—a people held captive for decades.
2. Cyrus did something astonishing. He freed them. He told them to return to their homeland. To rebuild their temple. To worship freely.
Secondly, we remember the Good Maharaja—Jam Saheb—who saved Jewish children during the Shoah.
Fast forward 2,500 years to the horrors of World War II. A train carrying over 1,000 Polish Jewish orphans, fleeing the Nazis, reached Iran and then India.
The British colonial authorities were reluctant to intervene. But the Good Maharaja stepped up.
He opened his palace.
He fed the children.
He educated them.
He gave them dignity and love.
To this day, a school in Tel Aviv bears his name. He didn’t see Jews or foreigners—he saw children who needed saving. That is leadership.
Let their example serve as a call to action for us. We have agency, we must use it. Let me describe what I am doing.
The 2023 Foundation is building a grassroots social movement. And I say to you here today: perhaps some of your community’s brightest young scholars—from Iranian, Indian, or broader backgrounds—might one day travel to Israel on a scholarship provided by The 2023 Foundation.
To study, to work and to experience. To bring skills, connections and insights back home with you. As alumni of the 2023 Foundation—your success is my success. I will do everything in my power to help you succeed.
3. We live in an Orwellian age of projection and gaslighting—where truth is distorted and lies are repeated until they sound familiar.
It is my judgment that we are not yet at nadir. Things will continue to worsen until a critical mass of us stands up, steps forward, and declares: Never Again.
This may seem a daunting task—but take heart.
Many here today draw your ancestry from the great kings of the past. You carry the strength of Cyrus and the courage of the Good Maharaja in your veins—and their example in your hearts.
Ladies and gentlemen, it is time. It is time for our light to shine. It is time to stand up.
It is time to step forward.
It is time to speak up.
Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. Together—we can and will prevail.