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Donald Rothwell

Donald Rothwell

The Conversation

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International law or ‘might is right’? Australia’s choice on Iran

The US and Israeli strikes on Iran have not been legally justified under international law. As the Trump administration pushes an increasingly...

05.03.2026 10

Pearls and Irritations

Donald Rothwell

International law or ‘might is right’? Australia’s choice on Iran

The US and Israeli strikes on Iran have not been legally justified under international law. As the Trump administration pushes an increasingly...

05.03.2026 20

Pearls and Irritations

Donald Rothwell

International law or ‘might is right’? Australia’s choice on Iran and other conflicts

So far, Australia’s response to the US and Israeli strikes on Iran has been ‘say nothing’. But this may not be a successful long-term approach.

03.03.2026 10

The Conversation

Donald Rothwell

Australia’s timid response to the US and Israel’s attack on Iran risks being seen as complicity

International law matters when it comes to something as significant as a widescale military assault on a territory of another state, resulting in the...

02.03.2026 10

The Guardian

Donald Rothwell

The 23 Australian children stuck in Syria are not responsible for their parents. They need our government’s support to return

Ever since news broke that 34 Australians were leaving Roj camp in north-east Syria to travel to Australia, their status and travel plans have been at...

24.02.2026 10

The Guardian

Donald Rothwell

Best of 2025 - Israel’s interception of the Gaza aid flotilla is a clear violation of international law

09.01.2026 20

Pearls and Irritations

Donald Rothwell

Three warnings for the world after Venezuela

06.01.2026 30

The New Daily

Donald Rothwell

The US violated international law in Venezuela. These are the questions Australia must now ask

05.01.2026 40

The Guardian

Donald Rothwell

Trump’s intervention in Venezuela: the 3 warnings for the world

The Trump administration has used US domestic laws to justify capturing Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. It’s a clear case of US exceptionalism.

05.01.2026 70

The Conversation

Donald Rothwell

Israel’s interception of the Gaza aid flotilla is a clear violation of international law

03.10.2025 10

Pearls and Irritations

Donald Rothwell

Israel’s interception of the Gaza aid flotilla is a clear violation of international law

Flotilla organisers say the Israeli military boarded their ships in international waters, where they have the right to freedom of navigation.

02.10.2025 7

The Conversation

Donald Rothwell

With the UK and France moving toward recognising Palestine, will Australia now follow suit?

31.07.2025 10

Pearls and Irritations

Donald Rothwell

Britain, France move on Palestine, will we follow?

31.07.2025 10

The New Daily

Donald Rothwell

With the UK and France moving toward recognising Palestine, will Australia now follow suit?

Australia has placed a number of preconditions on recognition. This kind of decision has long been a complicated and political process.

30.07.2025 10

The Conversation

Donald Rothwell

Sanction Israel and recognise Palestine: here are the steps Australia should take next on Gaza

28.07.2025 10

The Guardian

Donald Rothwell

Why the US strikes on Iran are illegal and can set a troubling precedent

The US and Israel have adopted the most wide-ranging and robust interpretations of the right of self defence. Other nations may now follow their lead.

23.06.2025 7

The Conversation

Donald Rothwell

Australia must stand firm in its support for a rules-based order and reject any US requests for military aid

23.06.2025 10

The Guardian

Donald Rothwell

Can Israel still claim self-defence to justify its Gaza war?

Many nations agreed Israel had a right to self-defence after the October 7 2023 Hamas attacks. Whether this defence still holds 20 months later is now...

10.06.2025 10

The Conversation

Donald Rothwell

Can Israel still claim self-defence to justify its Gaza war? Here's what the law says

09.06.2025 9

The Examiner

Donald Rothwell

Can Israel still claim self-defence to justify its Gaza war? Here's what the law says

09.06.2025 10

Canberra Times

Donald Rothwell

Can Israel still claim self-defence to justify its Gaza war? Here’s what the law says

Many nations agreed Israel had a right to self-defence after the October 7 2023 Hamas attacks. Whether this defence still holds 20 months later is now...

09.06.2025 10

The Conversation

Donald Rothwell

The UK has spoken out against the ‘monstrous’ human catastrophe in Gaza. Why won’t Australia do more?

21.05.2025 10

The Guardian

Donald Rothwell

1 in 5 Gazans face starvation. Can the law force Israel to act?

International law is clear: ‘the use of starvation as a method of warfare is prohibited’. Israel’s blockade of the strip is in clear defiance of this.

19.05.2025 10

The Conversation

Donald Rothwell

China didn’t violate any rules with its live-fire naval exercises. So, why are Australia and NZ so worried?

China gave advance notice about its live-fire exercises in the Tasman Sea – but Australia and NZ say it wasn’t enough. And that’s not the only...

24.02.2025 20

The Conversation

Donald Rothwell

What’s the idea behind Trump’s shocking new Gaza proposal?

06.02.2025 10

The Guardian

Donald Rothwell

Trump’s Gaza proposal crosses a red line. The Albanese government must reject it

06.02.2025 10

The Guardian

Donald Rothwell

Trump says he wants to take Greenland. International law says otherwise

The US president says he wants Greenland for security reasons. But Greenland is not terra nullius ripe for American colonisation.

31.01.2025 10

The Conversation

Donald Rothwell