The debate over the visit of the Israeli President has occupied much space in P&I this week, and for good reason.

This morning, Chris Sidoti lays out the reasons the visit is unwelcome (((LINK PLS))) and why Herzog should never have been invited.

Robert Manne walks us through the days since the Bondi massacre, and the history that lies behind the Israel/Palestine war in a beautiful piece of writing – _Don’t mention the war_. It is not to be missed.

I will be at the march in Melbourne on Monday and know that many of you will also be exercising your democratic right to protest. Please try to stay safe.

Chandran Nair spoke up this week with a powerful piece on Davos. He questioned whether Asia, Africa, and Latin America can get through the door, or whether we “should treat Davos as what it is: an exclusive club that has ingeniously positioned itself as the arbiter of what is good for the world.’”

Fred Zhang is back documenting China AI panic, one of the nation’s leading Myanmar experts Nicholas Farrelly brings us up to date with the troubled nation, and Gareth Evans reminds us why Australia’s middle power diplomacy matters.

I’m writing from my old home town of Melbourne this week, where I’m attending a memorial service for a dear friend, Emma Johnston. She died just after Christmas at 52. Her vigour and effervescent commitment to the pursuit of knowledge, especially marine ecology, was a joy to witness and be swept up in. But her commitment to preserving time for family was also a critical element of her strength and power. She made a difference to the way women, who have loves and lives inside and outside work, are treated and perceived in Australian public life.

I know that I, and many other women, will carry on juggling those twin passions, driven by her example.

Until next week