Gaza: Kudos for George but…

It is extremely positive that foreign minister George Vella that as things stand Malta is not supporting Israel’s bid for a UN Security Council seat.

From the little I know about George Vella, my hunch is that that his declaration is honest and reflects his convictions.  Vella’s reference to the “atrocities” and "carnage" in Gaza says it all.

Malta’s objection to Israel’s bid to a security council seat should not be limited to current circumstances but should hold until Israel abides to all UN resolutions including withdrawal to 1967 borders and the return of Palestinian refugees.

It is appalling that the previous administration supported this bid despite ongoing Gaza blockade and previous two invasions.

Caught unaware, PN opposition spokesperson Carm Mifsud Bonnici tried to justify Francis Zammit Dimech’s stance by saying that circumstances were different a year ago. 

His half-hearted justification was lame, considering that at that time Israel was still enforcing its blockade on Gaza while building more settlements in the West Bank.

Positively Mifsud Bonnici agreed with Vella that at the present moment Malta should not back Israel’s candidature.

It is appalling that the previous administration supported this bid despite ongoing Gaza blockade and previous two invasions

But despite this grave shortcoming and lack of foresight of the previous administration, which was bound to put us at odds with both the Arab world and candidates for the same post hailing from the European Union, Vella’s honest declaration does not absolve this administration’s wishy-washy approach to what Vella describes as “atrocities” in Gaza.

It is appalling that the present Labour government adopted an equidistant and timid position in the first weeks of the conflict and put the Hamas rockets in the same league as the intense aerial bombing of a strip which is just a bit larger than Malta.

The first statement condemned the violence and not its perpetrators while subsequent statements progressively expressed concern on the “carnage” in Gaza. But these statements fell short of outright condemnation of Israel’s actions.

It is also strange that the first indication of Malta’s support for Israel’s bid to join the security council was given by Social Dialogue Minister Helena Dalli in a meeting with a Knesset delegation just days before Israel started its bombardment in Gaza.

During the meeting Dalli noted that both Israel and Malta would be contesting a seat on the UN Security Council, in 2018 and 2022 respectively, and according to a government statement, the minister augured that both countries would be successful in their bids “to contribute towards the objectives of the Security Council, especially on Mediterranean issues.” 

In the circumstances, one has to ask what happened to the legacy of Guido de Marco and Dom Mintoff?

Had MaltaToday journalist Jurgen Balzan not picked up this explosive news item, we would have probably never have learned of Malta’s commitments to Israel, which we now learn were made by the former government.

During the same meeting Dalli also noted that Malta would be backing Israel’s candidature to sit on the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). 

Surely one may say that Israel deserves this post because women are not being discriminated in Israel’s bombardment of Gaza.

Questions linger on agreements signed with Israel, reportedly on energy and health signed in October during a state visit during which Joseph Muscat met his Israeli counterpart Bibi Netanyahu, in a meeting during which he failed to raise Malta’s objections to settlements being build in the West Bank.  

Muscat also met the Palestinian Authority reiterating support for a two state solution during his visit, but he would have been more credible if he raised pressing issues like the building of more settlements directly with the Israeli interlocutor.

One hopes that George Vella’s principled stance is now reflected in other aspects of the government’s foreign policy including its energy policies. 

What is striking in this entire story is the erosion of one of Malta’s firm foreign policy stands.

In the circumstances, one has to ask what happened to the legacy of Guido de Marco and Dom Mintoff?

A parliamentary resolution condemning the Israeli aggression on Gaza approved by both sides of the house will restore our credentials.

This is what a principled opposition in India did in the face of the perceived neutralism of the newly elected government. 

Which MP will have the guts to carry the legacy of Mintoff and de Marco?