Malta must not wait longer to recognise Palestinian statehood

Israel’s vicious aerial bombardment of Gaza that killed more than 400 people on Tuesday was an act of infamy. 

The air strikes were indiscriminate, killing displaced civilians, who had hoped for a modicum of normality as a result of the ceasefire.  

Exponents of the Israeli government have asked the rest of the world not to forget the hostages still held by Hamas, using them as justification for the savage attack. 

What the Israeli government failed to say was that the bombardment happened on the same day that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was scheduled to testify in court on charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust. 

Netanyahu appeared before the court on Monday in one of three long-delayed cases against him and was to testify on Tuesday. 

Conveniently, Netanyahu asked for his testimony to be cancelled due to ‘security developments’ just hours after he gave the order for the heavy bombardment of the Palestinian enclave to go ahead. 

Israel’s Haaretz, a long-standing left-leaning newspaper, had no qualms describing the Gaza bombardment as Netanyahu’s attempt at political survival. The newspaper said Israel's renewed operation in Gaza was framed as a way to break the deadlock in hostage talks and defeat Hamas but Netanyahu’s “real aim is a series of urgent political goals”. 

The victims of this devious game are innocent Palestinian civilians, who have been subjected to untold suffering since the October 2023 Hamas attacks on Israel. 

Of course, Hamas’s actions in October 2023 were despicable and deserve the strongest of condemnations. Of course, Israel had a right to retaliate and target the Hamas leadership. Of course, the hostages held by Hamas should be released immediately. But what we have been witnessing over the past 17 months is nothing more than a genocide of a population. 

Palestinians in Gaza have seen their social fabric, their communities, their cultural centres, their houses, their streets, their mosques, their schools and hospitals crushed under the weight of the Israeli military. 

The truth is that the only way Israel has managed to secure the release of hostages throughout this period was through negotiations that led to ceasefires. The bombardment only put the lives of the remaining hostages more at risk and will simply delay the release. 

Within these circumstances, Prime Minister Robert Abela did the right thing to condemn what he described as a “barbarous” attack. The tone of language was right. Abela clearly identified the aggressor – Israel – unlike his recent statements on the war in Ukraine, where he was more resolute on taking it out against the victim – Ukraine – than the aggressor – Russia. 

However, this leader believes the time is ripe for Malta to follow up on its commitment from last year and recognise the State of Palestine. It is a symbolic gesture but highly significant and there is no justifiable reason to continue delaying it. 

Last year, Abela had joined leaders from Spain, Ireland and Slovenia in a commitment to recognise the Palestinian state. While the other three countries did go ahead and fulfil their commitment in the months that followed, Malta postponed its decision and in parliament on Tuesday, Foreign Minister Ian Borg could not even say what the government would do. Indeed, when asked by Opposition MP Beppe Fenech Adami point blank where he stood on the issue of Palestinian statehood, Borg simply skirted the question. 

It is more than obvious that Malta does not want to irk the US on the Palestinian issue despite having a long-standing foreign policy in support of the Palestinian cause. 

Within the EU, Malta must join like-minded countries and advocate for a clear condemnation of Israel’s actions, the unconditional release of all hostages, and push for a lasting ceasefire with a clear pathway to Palestinian statehood in the West Bank and Gaza.