No surprise that Germany has banned all demonstrations in support of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank - but given the green light to demonstrations in support of Israel.

Germany and Austria are European outliers with this - but the deeply entrenched Holocaust guilt has ensured that Israel is given a completely free pass, and that any criticism of the Israeli state or state ideology is denounced as anti semitism and silenced (not just public protests but artworks, books and academic presentations).

The German Social Democrats and Greens are fully signed up to this - it's not just the parties of the right and centre right. They are happy to defend selected war crimes and systematic oppression. I was in Vienna the last time Israel decided to drop white phosphorus on children in Gaza, and the Austrian government thought that was the right time to fly Israeli flags from official buildings as a sign of support!