The second casualty of war, after truth, is the slow incessant pressure on citizen dissent. This is not only seen among Israelis and Palestinians on the front line, but also felt here in Australia and other liberal democracies that have been dragged into the heated debate.

The sharp escalation in rhetoric and protests by supporters of both sides in the current Middle East crisis is having a chilling effect on how we debate thorny issues among ourselves. The ABC is under pressure over its coverage, with critics slamming the suggestion there is any equivalence between the tactics of Hamas and the Israeli security forces.