[PJ] Imagine visiting a democratic country where young people dressed in military clothes, carrying machine guns, and eager to defend their country are ubiquitous. There are also children everywhere, as it is the country with the highest birth rate in the developed world. The cities are vibrant, and everyone you meet tells you what a wonderful place it is to live.
Former Australian deputy prime minister John Anderson shared these impressions on his recent trip to Israel. He explained that his reason for the visit was that he despises racism, especially the oldest and most pernicious hatred, antisemitism. He also said that his history degree gave him enough knowledge to know that when you see a rise in antisemitism, worse trouble is always brewing.
Anderson interviewed Israeli national security expert Dan Schueftan in Tel Aviv to discuss the future of Israel and the West. Schueftan, whom Anderson praised for having a track record of calling things right since the Yom Kippur War in 1973, said that the essential question facing us today is, "Can civilized people defend themselves against barbarians even when the barbarians are defended by stupid people in the mainstream of Western civilization?"
Schueftan noted that the number of Israelis who prepare to qualify for a combat unit has more than doubled in the last three years. Anderson contrasted that with the situation in most Western countries, particularly America. He said: |