Off the back of last week’s huge protests for Palestine in Australia, the global movement to end the genocide continues to grow.

Enormous crowds in Asia and Europe and Tel Aviv, statements from the Pope, from movie stars at the Cannes Film Festival, from our own cricketing legend Usman Khawaja, nothing seems to make a dint in the murderous plans of the Netanyahu regime to occupy Gaza.

An old friend asked last week what was the point of protesting about something happening on the other side of the world.

I have two answers: firstly, walking among the 100,000 who filled the streets of Melbourne last week, it struck me there is something profound about rising collectively to demand more and better. More and better compassion and action, not for yourself, but for others, just like us, on the other side of the world. It is what living in a healthy democracy is about. The quality of the response from our leaders is also a measure of the health in our democracy.

Secondly, P&I readers have had it direct. P&I correspondent Refaat Ibrahim saw the protests from his tent in Gaza and said: “The scenes of the massive demonstration were inspiring and carried a noble message. In these moments of extreme suffering… your voice rejecting genocide was like a window of hope from free peoples, carrying to us the message that there are still hearts that hold peace for the world.”

Of all the news this week on Palestine, one story has lodged in my head. It comes from the leaders of the Latin and Greek Orthodox religious communities in Jerusalem. Many who have sought refuge in their compounds are weakened and malnourished due to the hardships of the last months. Leaving Gaza City would be a death sentence. So, the clergy and nuns will stay and care for those who cannot leave.

If we need an example of how to behave, they have provided it.

In other news, and there is so much of it, we will continue to pursue the story of the ASIO investigation that led to the expulsion of the Iranian Ambassador. Cameron Leckie, on Friday, described the whole affair as “ gaslighting the electorate”. Tomorrow, Jack Waterford asks who really knew what and why can’t we be told more on how the ASIO investigation unfolded.

As Defence Minister Richard Marles rushed off to the US (during a sitting week) to talk AUKUS, Michael Keating and Jon Stanford wrote that Pillar One of the plan should be ditched.

Until next week.