Robert Dowling

If a deal is struck to end the Iranian conflict because it is believed that the Strait of Hormuz cannot be protected from Iranian terrorism and Iran still possesses the capability to destroy major Gulf oil infrastructure, then Iran will be perceived as being a dominate force requiring a diplomatic solution. This combination of Iran being perceived as having the ability to terrorize the Strait in perpetuity and the ability the inflict massive damage to Gulf oil infrastructure is a major shift of the balance of power in the region and over time will be a nightmare for Israel. Also, it makes one wonder why the war started to begin with if these perceptions are accurate. I personally am a skeptic of the idea that Iran cannot be denied the ability to terrorize the Strait and the region cannot protect itself against Iranian military capability. It is important we get this right.

THREAD 🧵 An Al Jazeera investigation has found that military goods from at least 51 countries were sent to Israel, even after the ICJ warned in January 2024 of a plausible risk of genocide in Gaza and ordered states to help prevent it. 🔗: aje.news/2f90pn | #Infograph

Dichiarazioni congiunte alla stampa con il Primo Ministro d'Irlanda, @MichealMartinTD

Bienvenue à Paris, cher ami Premier ministre @MichealMartinTD. La France est le voisin le plus proche de l’Irlande au sein de l’Union européenne ! En juillet, l’Irlande prendra la présidence du Conseil de l’Union européenne. Nous serons à ses côtés pour faire avancer notre agenda commun : sur la défense et la sécurité, la compétitivité, la protection de nos démocraties. Pour une Europe plus souveraine, plus compétitive, plus protectrice. Nous serons au rendez-vous !

Statement by Minister McEntee on the Treatment of Irish Citizens Detained in Israel. gov.ie/en/department-…

Le immagini del ministro israeliano Ben Gvir sono inaccettabili. È inammissibile che questi manifestanti, fra cui molti cittadini italiani, vengano sottoposti a questo trattamento lesivo della dignità della persona. Il Governo italiano sta immediatamente compiendo, ai più alti livelli istituzionali, tutti i passi necessari per ottenere la liberazione immediata dei cittadini italiani coinvolti. L’Italia pretende inoltre le scuse per il trattamento riservato a questi manifestanti e per il totale disprezzo dimostrato nei confronti delle esplicite richieste del Governo italiano. Per questi motivi, il Ministero degli Affari Esteri e della Cooperazione Internazionale convocherà immediatamente l’ambasciatore israeliano per chiedere chiarimenti formali su quanto accaduto.

You knowingly caused harm to our State in this disgraceful display - and not for the first time. You have undone tremendous, professional, and successful efforts made by so many people - from IDF soldiers to Foreign Ministry staff and many others. No, you are not the face of Israel.

@DrNeilStone Except it’s reported to cases of the virus in both Kinshasa and the Ugandan capital Kampala.

The Ebola outbreak is centred in Ituri, north eastern DR Congo 🇨🇩 Healthcare in that area is very limited which will sadly contribute to high mortality However the region is relatively isolated because of poor transport links, which will likely help limit further spread

Ebola has broken out in DR Congo and Uganda, reaching the capitals, and @WHO has declared this a global health emergency. I traveled along the Congo/Uganda border last year, and the public health structure--especially community health workers--was being dismantled because of President Trump's demolition of USAID. This Ebola outbreak will also be harder to address because it involves the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, for which there is no vaccine or approved therapy and for which even testing is complicated. And Trump has also withdrawn the US from @who, limiting the world's ability to work together to fight the virus. Uganda has a decent health system, but Congo's is a disaster and is complicated by war in Eastern Congo. Large numbers of Congolese are in camps in southwestern Uganda, and the US aid cuts mean that UN agencies are able to offer them less support so that the refugees increasingly are on their own and traveling more in search of food. If the Ebola spreads more broadly, then the cost in lives and money could be considerable -- so it's important to act early to contain it. I hope Trump will reconsider his moves, work with WHO, and dispatch assistance to the Uganda/Congo border area. nytimes.com/2026/05/17/wor…

BREAKING: WHO declares global health emergency over Ebola outbreak in Congo, Uganda with over 300 suspected cases and 88 deaths. apnews.com/article/congo-…

@hippieal @journo_ben @nypost It’s not about Judaism. It’s about the actions of the Israeli state whose leader is a wanted by the ICC to face charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity. Russia and Belarus were kicked out for similar behaviour. Boycotting is a valid means of protest.

@journo_ben @nypost Exactly 5 countries went after Israel, Israel kicked their asses and the next day they all started, crying, boo freaking who we got beat oh the darn Jews

Mamdani slammed for 'corrupting history' about the creation of Israel in social media post marking 'Nakba Day' trib.al/oAG48nt

Cork City Council to consider tiny statue honouring mosquito linked to Oliver Cromwell’s death irishexaminer.com/news/munster/a…

@drsjcostello The Russians didn’t perceive like you do.

@DunlaingRob No. And that was then. This is now. Totally different context.

Ridiculous decision by Ireland to withdraw from the Eurovision Song Contest. Virtue signaling. Surely music should be a place beyond politics?

@BelgianFOI @POLITICOEurope Untrue - no one argues that Israel doesn’t have a right to defend itself. The argument is Israel doesn’t have a right to go beyond self defence which its actions have done, and which violate international laws.

Slovenia, Ireland and Spain are not boycotting Eurovision over “human rights” - they are boycotting it because a Jewish state dared to defend itself against Hamas after 7 October. They had no problem airing the contest when Russia invaded Ukraine, when China runs Uyghur camps, or when half the Middle East stones gay people. But an Israeli singer on stage? This is unbearable to them. This is not principled protest - it is the oldest hatred with a new playlist. Eurovision was meant to be songs, not another biased UN General Assembly with glitter. The rest of Europe is still showing up, "historic boycott" or not.

National broadcasters from Slovenia, Ireland and Spain will not air the Eurovision Song Contest this week, following through on their historic boycott of the music competition over Israel’s participation. politico.eu/article/3-euro…

Eurovision is used by certain states that have an international public image problem to portray a false image of their country. This is why the Israeli government has spent heavily on the Eurovision in recent years to manipulate the public vote. Eurovision in this case is used as a form of expression of popularity via the public vote - to counter the overall negative image of Israel that exists due to the genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and the ethnic cleansing that the Israeli state engages in.

China and the European Union have joined forces in a bid to create a global alliance on carbon pricing, putting them at odds with the Trump administration’s push to invest more in fossil fuels bloomberg.com/news/articles/…

@garrethmcdaid @john_mcguirk Doesn’t help when the main back up is fossil fuels. We needed nuclear power to be alongside it. Then we would have had a coherent strategy.

For 20 years, we've been told that renewables would supply us with abundant, cheap energy for generations.

Israel has a right to self defence. No state has a right to use whatever means possible as there is international law and international humanitarian law that states what is and isn’t allowed. The Israeli state went beyond what is allowed under the Geneva Conventions. The arrest warrants that were issued for Israeli and Hamas officials are based on a sound legal footing. Israel has to act within the same legal frameworks as other states. Many of these came into being due to the horrors of WW2, where civilians and prisoners were systematically attacked. Your dehumanising language towards Palestinians by calling them “PAL dirt” resonates with the language towards people who face a holocaust, or more recently towards the Tutsis in Rwanda who suffered a genocide, or the Rohingya in Myanmar. Language towards any group of people matters. Language of hate has led to devastating consequences as we can see from other examples.

That accusation is a scandal, a disgrace and is clearly politically motivated... ISR has a right to defend its security by all meanns needed. Btw, the smart Arab countries are signing peace treaties and collaborate with ISR these days... And then we have this PAL dirt here again...

The whole world calls Auschwitz-Birkenau a German Nazi concentration and extermination camp. In Irish school books however, Auschwitz is called a "prisoner of war camp". Why is Ireland misleading its children about the Holocaust? Source: IMPACT-SE

So you believe we should judge a people based on who has power over the people? For example Benjamin Netanyahu is wanted by the ICC for war crimes and crimes and crimes against humanity, so as with your views towards Palestinians and Germans in WW2, we should extend the belief that are most Israelis are similar to Benjamin Netanyahu?

@DunlaingRob @_andrearnaud @visegrad24 @ireland I admit a few exceptions... But unfortunately very few... There were also some nice Germans during the Nazi era, but...