‘Silence is complicity’: PN MP tells parliament to condemn Israel attack on Gaza

Nationalist MP Albert Buttigieg urged parliament to condemn Israel for its attacks on Gaza, saying it cannot turn a blind eye to what’s happening in the Strip.

Buttigieg used his adjournment speech in parliament to talk about the horrors in Gaza, which has been besieged by Israeli forces ever since Hamas led a surprise attack on 7 October 2023.

“It is unacceptable to kill over 50,000 people. From these, over 10,000 are innocent children. This is not acceptable. I think this House needs to be clear that this is not acceptable,” he told the parliament.

Buttigieg also said the parliament should not be selective in its condemnations of war. He mentioned that parliament quickly condemned Russia when it invaded Ukraine, but has remained silent on the Gaza war.

“Hopefully, this House will have the courage to call what’s white, white, and to call what’s black, black,” Buttigieg said.

The MP said that Hamas’s actions on 7 October were unacceptable. However, destroying a place is also unacceptable. He pointed out that Israel is weaponising basic food and drink by blocking humanitarian aid from reaching Gaza. “It is criminal to kill people through hunger,” he said.

He also mentioned Malta’s neutrality stance, saying that this should not mean sticking your head in the sand and pretending everything is fine. “Silence is a form of complicity,” he said.

He described the war as a form of Nazism and fascism moulded together, while pointing out that many countries will be celebrating the fall of Nazism on Thursday, which is Victory in Europe Day.

On Friday, a humanitarian vessel en route to Gaza claimed that it was struck by two Israeli drones outside Malta’s territorial waters.

The Maltese government has offered support with vessel repairs but has not offered the vessel to dock in Malta.