Pro-Palestinian protesters cheer on Peter Dutton

Dutton can also deceive. “This government says it’s OK for protesters to take to the streets,” he said last week. Albanians even said last week that the pro-Palestinian protests on the October 7 anniversary were not okay. Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles said the same on Sunday.

But the Labor language may be muddied as long as the Coalition breaks through. The Albanian tries so hard to sound reasonable to all parties that he eventually squirms. His position is close to the majority position – don’t take sides – but sounds empty. This is incredibly dangerous for a Prime Minister because he lacks conviction.

In the meantime, the Greens should think about their approach. Only 6 percent of Australians say Greens leader Adam Bandt and his party have responded best to the war. That’s half of the Greens’ primary votes. There are no signs of the Greens winning hearts and minds in this area. Even Green voters are unsure: only 32 percent of them say Bandt and the Greens have the best answer to this crisis.

The latest research also produces difficult findings for the demonstrators. The Palestinian cause has sparked a progressive movement that passionately advocates against the destruction of Gaza and the bombing of Lebanon. But the protesters could weaken their case with every step.

Protests often risk becoming aggressive and divisive, especially when emotions run high. A man placing a Nazi symbol on an Israeli flag deepens divisions. Anyone flying the flag of a designated terrorist group, or an approximation thereof, does the same.

The Jewish community has marked the events of the past year without taking to the streets in the same way: more quiet vigils, fewer noisy gatherings. This may help explain why there is stronger community support for the Israeli cause than for that in Gaza.