When it comes to the domestic political fallout from the Gaza conflict, there are no more reliable and uncritical friends of Israel than Victoria’s Premier Jacinta Allan and her New South Wales counterpart Chris Minns.

Both are predictably abusing supporters of Palestine and opponents of the genocide being committed by Israel for holding demonstrations to mark 7 October – the anniversary of Hamas’ appalling actions that led to the killing of more than 1200 people and the kidnapping of more than 250 hostages.

While 7 October holds significance for Israelis, Jewish people and many across the world, it should also be remembered as the day on which the venal government of Benjamin Netanyahu commenced what has become a genocide in Gaza.

I, for one, have no difficulties with 7 October being seen as a day of dreadful significance for both peoples.

I join with millions of other Australians in seeing today as an opportunity to support the starving men, women and children of Gaza. The thousands of innocent lives taken by Israel’s killing machine. The hundreds of journalists, aid workers, and medical professionals who have been murdered by Israel’s defence force.

All this has been done by Israel in the name of 7 October. So why should this day simply be seen through the eyes of the supporters of Israel and the Zionist cause?

The right to protest is a fundamental element of freedom of expression in a democracy. Simply because some opportunist politicians like Allan and Minns think it’s despicable doesn’t matter. Ditto journalists and other community leaders. And as for the Zionist lobby, the fact they are incapable of seeing a genocide when it is happening before their eyes means their views on protests in support of Palestine today are irrelevant.

7 October is not the only contested date in history. Take January 26. Some white Australians think it is a day to celebrate the founding of this nation. For many, it is a day that began a long genocide. An invasion by Europeans of Indigenous land.

Or what about ANZAC Day – 25 April? For the Turks, it means something very different to Australians and New Zealanders who fed their young to the Imperial war machine.

When it comes to 7 October, the contested meaning is so obvious. And more so because it is recent.

You cannot, unless you are a blinkered supporter of Israel and its right to act in any way it sees fit to “defend” itself, seriously contemplate this day without seeing the big picture – the whole conflict.

And the uncomfortable truth is this. While what happened on 7 October to Israel and its people cannot be justified in any way, shape or form, it was used as an excuse to launch what has been a long time desire of some in Israel. And that is, to wipe out the Palestinian people. To finish the project begun in 1947 when the Nakba happened.

There you have it, another example of contested dates. On 14 May 1948, the US recognised the independence of Israel announced by David Ben-Gurion, the head of the Jewish Agency.

But this is a day that represents for many, most particularly Palestinians., the ethnic cleansing via the means of displacement of Palestinians from their homeland – the Nakba.

If Allan, Minns and other opponents of Palestinian protests today were real leaders, as opposed to puppets of the Israeli cause, they would get the idea of contested history, even when it comes to recent events. But sadly they don’t.

Instead they want us all to ignore the genocide in Gaza today. To forget the Israeli Government’s acts of terrorism in this conflict. To focus only on the event that was used as an excuse by Netanyahu to keep himself in office by delivering for the extreme right what they wanted.

The bottom line is this. There is no disrespect in Australians hitting the streets today and using social media to ask our community to reflect on what 7 October means for two groups of people. Ignore those who oppose you. Exercise your right to freedom of speech knowing that you are on the right side of history.

The views expressed in this article may or may not reflect those of Pearls and Irritations.