Nationalist MEPs vote down EP debate on Israel’s UN agency ban for Palestine

Malta’s Nationalist MEPs voted against having a European Parliament plenary debate on Israel’s decision to ban the UN Relief Works Agency from providing any services in its territory.

The vote, held on Wednesday, concerned a request by The Left Group to debate Israel’s ban on the UN agency that provides relief to Palestinian refugees, as well as the implications of this decision on the humanitarian situation in the Gaza strip and other Palestinian territories.

READ ALSO: Israel bans Palestinian lifeline UNRWA from operating inside country

Peter Agius and David Casa, Malta’s Nationalist MEPs in the European Parliament, voted against this request for a debate. The Nationalist Party is aligned with the European People’s Party.

Almost all of the EPP europarliamentarians voted against the debate.

Meanwhile, Labour MEPs Alex Agius Saliba and Thomas Bajada voted in favour of this debate, as did most of the S&D MEPs present at the vote.

Labour MEP Daniel Attard’s name does not appear on the voting results list.

Explaining their vote to MaltaToday, Casa and Agius said the request for this debate came from "the extreme left in the EP" at the last minute without prior discussion between the political groups. 

"We have debated the situation the Middle East multiple times and practically in every recent plenary. Our position on the crisis in Gaza is clearly set in the numerous votes we’ve participated in. Coming to erroneous conclusions about our position based on the EPP’s decision to vote against procedural motions from the extreme left is erroneous and misguided."

They said they are in favour of strengthening UNRWA and had voted accordingly in the European Parliament in October, including on amendments adding budget and resources to the agency. "We deeply regret the vote of the Israeli Knesset in October banning UNRWA as this makes the UN and EU operation in solidarity with the people of Palestine more difficult if not impossible. We also join the EP's open and ongoing call for a ceasefire in the Middle East."

Labour Party: ‘Shameful’

In a statement, the Labour Party said it was shameful that the Nationalist MEPs voted against the debate.

“This is not the first time that PN MEPs turned a blind eye towards the genocide that is happening in Gaza,” the statement said.

The party said Casa and Agius are showing their true colours in Brussels, and accused them of trying to portray Malta in a bad light. 

“But faced with a decision that would cause a devastating humanitarian effect on millions of children, men and women – as is the Israeli UNRA ban, the PN MEPs sit comfortably in their EP seats, looking the other way. Shameful.”