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Jewish Community disassociates itself from 'unilateral act' of harassment
The Jewish Community of Malta has disassociated itself from criminal charges of harassment against one of its members.
4 March 2011, 12:00am
Matthew Vella
Matthew Vella
2 min read
Lawrence Attard Bezzina, was criminally arraigned in front of Magistrate Antonio Mizzi yesterday for sending threatening messages to former MaltaToday journalist Karl Schembri, and author Adrian Grima, and activists Lana Turner and Mario Gerada.
In a statement, Abraham Chaim Ohayon, president of the Jewish Community pointed out that the criminal case was still sub judice but that the community was dissociating itself from the charges.
Attard Bezzina was accused of sending anonymous messages of a threatening nature to the four persons over their roles in reporting and publicising the situation of Palestinians in the occupied territories and Gaza. Attard Bezzina, a senior principal at the Ghammieri agricultural centre, is known to be a vocal member of the Jewish community.
In the past he accompanied Maltese MPs to the European Friends of Israel conferences and was a president of the Malta-Israel Friendship Society.
“It appears that allegedly, this was a unilateral act of which the Jewish Community of Malta was completely unaware of… Let me assure you that Jewish life in Malta has been peaceful since Phoenician settlers set foot on this land and we have no intention to let one unrelated incident spoil the way things have been working in perfect harmony for ages for us with our Maltese counterparts,” Ohayon said.
Attard Bezzina has asked to be forgiven in court. Adrian Grima, the only witness present, said he personally would forgive him as long as the accused would not resort to such threats again.
At a certain point during the first sitting, Attard Bezzina accused the prosecuting police inspector of 'anti-semitism' in an unexplained outburst, but was immediately stopped by the Magistrate and he apologised.
In comments to MaltaToday, Karl Schembri said that since he covered the Al Aqsa Intifada 11 years ago, Attard Bezzina had been “spreading all sorts of lies about me and others who write or are somehow involved in unveiling the truth about the Israeli occupation of Palestine, which has been ongoing for the last 62 years.”
“His latest tactic was to threaten us anonymously - the most cowardly act anyone can ever do and the biggest disservice he can do to his perceived cause. His world is only one of hate, contempt and cowardice worthy of a nice hefty fine. I hope he shuts up or be a man and voice his lunatic views in his name, providing facts for once.”
Anglu Farrugia was defence counsel for Attard Bezzina.
Matthew Vella, a freelance journalist at MaltaToday, was formerly executive editor at Malt...
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It seems rather obvious that this articlewas only intended to defame Lawrence Attard Bezzina and nothing else. Matthew Vella'scomment and vomit is absolutely disgusting and the cross eyed son of a b@"tch living with desperate cohorts in Gaza wants his pound of flesh - what disgusting reporting from a despicable newspaper- what garbage!
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My,my, my dear Matthew - where is your usual high and mighty character??? Is this your latest type of journalism??? Didn't your mummy teach you your p's and q's and not to use foul language??? You did lose your cool eh?????? What made you tick??? Where did you learn this type of language???? I wonder!!! Does pro-israeli people have this effect on you??? Then i would try to get a blood-pressure check-up as quickly as possible!!!
Joseph Caruana •
@Maimonedes
Busli l-bajd...
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Allow me to make myself clear with all concerned; i have no wish or desire to create enemies and i look forward to enjoying a long and healthy (doubtful, as i smoke), peaceful life. However, i will continue to exercise my right to freely express my views without attacking people or threatening them in any way or manner.
Andy Farrugia
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Karl Schembri and Matthew Vella are both amateurs and big heads.
They somehow think they have a God-given mission to report...
My suspicion is that they are fed this rubbish by their employers. They do not see how they are being manipulated. They will only create enemies; in a small country like ours, creating enemies is not exactly conducive to a long, healthy and peaceful life.
But to each his own.
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I was referring to Karl's comments included in the article when i referred to "his enjoyment of his pound of flesh". In any case, they are all much of a muchness in this stable; i would not be too surprised that sooner or later i will be crossing swords with the big guy himself; i have a particular fetish for being taken to the cleaners.
Andy Farrugia
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Mags, it wasn't Karl Schembri who wrote the article (including the spelling error in the headline) - it was Matthew Vella. Can you see it in bright red caps under headline?
Andy Farrugia
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Mags, anti-Semitic means anti-Jewish.
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It is true that the literal meaning of the word 'Semitic' includes different peoples including, ironically, Arabs but the expression has ALWAYS been used idiomatically to mean anti-Jewish.
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Some Maltese are of Semitic origin, others are of European descent and many others - probably most Maltese - have a mixture of Semitic and European ancestors.
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Dear Andy, no I was not surprised at the sick minded weirdos who are thinking that this new breed of thinking is cool!!! They are only losers who do not know or who do not care to know what the Jewish people went through and are still going through thanks to people like our dear Karl Schembri and his gung-ho friends. Further to my previous comment I would like to add something else - The case against Lawrence Attard Bezzina is closed - over and done with!! Capito Mr. Karl??? At least when you report from law courts do have the decency not to insult people's intelligence by being biased!! Why didn't you say that no evidence whatsoever was presented at court? So you are stating and i quote "Attard Bezzina has asked to be forgiven in court." - this is quite a comment visto that the there was no evidence presented. So may I ask for what he should have been forgiven? Also i quote “His latest tactic was to threaten us anonymously - the most cowardly act anyone can ever do and the biggest disservice he can do to his perceived cause. His world is only one of hate, contempt and cowardice worthy of a nice hefty fine. I hope he shuts up or be a man and voice his lunatic views in his name, providing facts for once.” - Just a suggestion - with such sick unprofessional comments I would suggest a decent course of journalism, perhaps you would learn that when you let your emotions get the best of you, you will expose your agendas - which you made quite clear in this volatile outburst of irrational anger!!! Do be a sport Mr. Karl Schembri, cool down and if possible try to re-write the above article giving exact reports without bias and without being so anti-semitic and anti-jewish. Only kids stomp their feet and rave and shout irrationally when something which they don't like take place. Mr. Schembri, apart from a course in journalism I would also suggest some lessons about the evolving of the Jewish state - from the forming of the 12 tribes of ISRAEL - to the present day. That will occupy your time in much more interesting a manner than dishing dirt and lies about people. In the mean time - happy Carnival!!!
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Ramon Casha, did i ever mention anything about anonymous messages or communiques? So why are you asking me this question? Are you perchance involved in this kind of skulduggery yourself? Whatever i have to say and whenever i wish to say something i do it openly, Ramon Casha.
Andy Farrugia alias
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@afar3: Are you saying that it's perfectly ok to send anonymous threatening messages? Or is it only ok if the messages are sent by specific people, or targeted at others?
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BTW, please correct the word in the headline: it should read 'unilATEral act'; amateurs.
Andy Farrugia alias
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Mags, or whoever, are you surprised by this at all. I have just seen some expressions posted on some facebook page or other by some people who believe that they are the new breed of opinion formers in Malta: hahaha, what a sick joke. Please mags, be prepared to throw up:
" i would drive a spoon at its heart infected with cats' aids"
I apologise for the crudity and sickness of such minds.
Andy Farrugia alias
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I would just like to add a comment if I may. Would Karl Schembri have dished this type of dirt had the story been the other way round. I don't believe so - as he makes public where his sympathies lie. In my opinion, if you want to carry out some investigative journalism, you should spend some time going around Malta and Gozo plus facebook - and write a report on the anti-semitic and anti-jewish sentiments in Malta. I assure you you'd have a field day. As the saying goes - media has its own agenda - and your agenda is quite clear. What is it are you sorry that things finished the way they did??? It seems so to me!!! Guess you would drunk champagne had things not finished the way they did!!! Why don't you just have a look at the hatred being written by fellow maltese citizens against Jews, against Americans, against all those who support Israel????? You know what I call your article - an article inciting anti-semitism at its best!!! If this is journalism - then i'm the queen of england!!
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How can a Maltese be anti-semitic if the Maltese are semitic by language and by race I presume? Israel should live in peace, and the Palestinians should have their own state. I can't understand how an American who has never been to Israel, or a Russian or French man, have more rights and privelleges than Palestinians who were born in Palestine? The Palestinians should stop making their independence and their state struggle as an Islamic stuggle; it is not. There are Christian Palestinians and Palestinians of other denominations too.
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You seem to be enjoying your pound of flesh yourself, Karl, aren't you? Why? Is all that you write from Hamas-ruled Gaza the truth? Nothing, but the truth and the whole truth? Why don't you tell your readers about the stratagems used by terrorists against innocent civilians, about the barrage of missiles launched against schools, cafeterias, shopping malls? About the tunnels? Tell them about the tunnels! And the shooting from ambulances?
Now perhaps, you'll fly off the handle and try to dredge some muck about me, or else take me to the cleaners, as your master over here is so fond of bragging about doing. You see, i do not send anonymous emails to threaten anyone, i even put down my name, which you may or may not remember. I have some distant recollection of you being one of my students at the Junior College, but i might be wrong. Go slow on your demolition job; keep my age in mind.
Andy Farrugia alias
