Letters: US president Joe Biden’s condemnation of the ICC arrest warrants may ruin election chances

In realpolitik terms, it could be all too late for Biden who may yet lose the election on account of his poor judgment and moral weakness in dealing with the war in Gaza.

Biden’s criticism of the ICC prosecutor’s actions against ­Netanyahu and Gallant as “outrageous” is an attack on the independence of the office of the prosecutor and also damages the integrity of the office of the US president.

Given that arrest warrants have also been applied for against the Hamas leadership, the wording of the Irish government’s planned recognition of the state of Palestine must contain an explicit reference to this recognition being dependent on the exclusion of this terrorist organisation from participation in this state, as well as for this state to have no part in acts of terrorism.

The response of Israel’s political leadership to the actions of the ICC prosecutor (Netanyahu expressed “disgust” and Israeli president Isaac Herzog said it was “beyond outrageous”) must also give the Irish government pause for thought in relation to its current relationship with Israel.

Finally, it must be recognised that being against Netanyahu and the Israeli government’s actions in Gaza does not mean being antisemitic; it means being against war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Chris Fitzpatrick, Terenure Road East, Dublin 6

Allowing US military use of Shannon Airport makes Ireland complicit in war

The Irish government is responding to the wishes of the vast majority of the electorate by moving, albeit belatedly, to recognise Palestine as a state.

This decision is to be welcomed. The decision by the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to seek arrest warrants for Israeli and Hamas leaders should also be welcomed by all who value the rules of international and humanitarian laws. Complicity with war crimes and genocide is also a crime that comes within the remit of the ICC and the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

The US and several Nato and EU member states have been actively supportive of Israeli war crimes and probable genocide in Gaza, by supplying large amounts of the weapons and munitions that Israel has been using to commit those crimes.

By allowing US military aircraft to use Shannon Airport and Irish airspace, Ireland and its leaders and officials are at least indirectly ­complicit in war crimes and ­probable genocide.

Edward Horgan, Castletroy, Limerick

Small adjustment might make the portal a more pleasant experience for all

Concerning the Dublin-New York Portal, perhaps there might be an acceptable compromise solution that may well stop further antisocial behaviour from spoiling this wonderful international social experiment.

This solution might be to have a time delay of several seconds before whatever happens at the Dublin end of the portal can be seen over at the New York end of the portal while, ­likewise, whatever happens at the New York end of the portal should also take several seconds before it, too, can be seen at the Dublin side.

Any type of unacceptable social behaviour could then be spotted in time and blocked before it can be seen either side of the portal.

This small adjustment could still allow interactive communication as something particularly innovative and special without it becoming offensive to anyone.

Sean O’Brien, Kilrush, Co Clare

Donald Trump’s appalling promise to US gun owners is stupid and indefensible

Donald Trump has set another standard for utter stupidity, by confirming he would fight to the last to continue to allow US citizens to bear arms. This in a country where 350 million people own almost 400 million weapons, legally or illegally, ranging from handguns to automatic assault rifles.

Even allowing for the ­statement being made at a gun lobby meeting, it is still indefensible.

Does he care nothing for the 40,000 people killed by gun violence in the US each year?

When, or if, the planned election debates occur, one can only hope president Joe Biden, inept as he is, can show Trump for what he truly is.

David Ryan, Co Meath

Are councillors just the go-between for locals and their local authorities?

The upcoming local elections have reminded me of a conversation I had with a young candidate standing in the Dublin South-East constituency before the 2019 elections. I enquired as to what a councillor did.

She said she didn’t know and was standing because the party wanted her to stand, that the salary would be a useful addition to her present income and that if she served her time she would end up with a reasonable gratuity on retiring or losing her seat.

She added that she would deal with constituents’ queries and problems, solving them with the local authority and government agencies.

I believed it was the local authority and the local agencies, given the numbers employed, that sort out local queries and problems. Are councillors needed as go-betweens for locals and their local authority?

Hugh McDermott, Dromahair, Co Leitrim

Coverage of houses built by the State not showing a true picture of spending

The national broadcaster and the media constantly refer to the numbers of houses built “by the State,” airing the views of politicians, lobbyists and vested interests claiming the same.

What needs to be spelled out clearly is that the State does not provide any such housing, but spends taxpayers’ money, often buying, leasing and renting housing from the private sector.

Paul Newsome, Address with editor

An apt new moniker for ‘The Boss’ following his amazing Croke Park gig

I had the privilege of seeing Bruce Springsteen in Dublin, at GAA headquarters Croke Park on Sunday. What a night. It reminded me of the legendary US Irish-American Tammany Hall politician Richard Welstead Croker, better known as ‘The Boss Croker’. After this Dublin performance we have a new ‘Boss Croker’.

M O’Brien, Dalkey, Co Dublin