WATCH | No pressure from Israel, US on recognition of Palestinian state: Prime Minister

Prime Minister Robert Abela has pushed back against suggestions Malta’s failure to recognising the Palestinian state stems from pressure by Israel and the United States.

“I totally exclude any form of external pressures,” Abela said following a press conference on Wednesday.

The PM fielded questions from the media following a ministerial statement on Tuesday afternoon.

He once again insisted Malta is waiting for a United Nations conference to take place before officially recognising Palestinian statehood.

“We are now waiting for the conference to be assigned a date, and then we will evaluate what position countries like France will be taking. If the circumstances we had discussed ahead of the declaration are met, we will proceed,” Abela said on Wednesday.

The PM said questions being fielded to him stem from “misreporting of facts”.

“I had insisted recognising Palestine statehood would depend on the conference’s conclusions,” Abela said.

He also insisted Malta’s track record on the issue has always been clear to see, with calls for ceasefires and a two-state solution.

The PM also said the country’s balanced approach after 7 October attacks allows the country to take consistent positions on the issue.

In May, Abela promised that Malta will formally recognise the State of Palestine during a United Nations conference on the Israel-Palestine issue in June.

However, the June deadline passed without any formal recognition on Malta’s part.

The original conference was scheduled for 20 June but later postponed after Israel launched a military attack on Iran.

In March 2024, Malta was among four European countries that said they are ready to recognise the State of Palestine when the conditions allow for it.

Malta already recognises the Palestinian right to a state, but this would recognise a ‘future’ state.

From the four countries that made their interest public, only Malta is yet to recognise Palestinian statehood.