Metsola accused of ‘complicity through silence’ over timid response to Israeli military actions in Gaza

More than 150 Maltese writers, academics, artists, and activists have signed an open letter criticising European Parliament President Roberta Metsola for her “timid” response to the war in Gaza.

The letter condemns what signatories describe as Metsola’s double standards and failure to acknowledge Israel’s actions as genocide.

The signatories, which also include journalists, party leaders and election candidates said Metsola was quick to condemn the Hamas attacks on 7 October but failed to respond with similar urgency or moral clarity to the Israeli bombardment of Gaza that followed.

Citing death tolls of over 54,000, including large numbers of women, children, journalists, and academics, the letter argues killings resulting from targeted military action.

The letter accuses Metsola of “complicity through silence” and “selective outrage,” noting her strong stance on Ukraine and on justice for murdered journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, in contrast with her muted remarks on Gaza.

The group highlights the use of terms such as “human animals” by Israeli officials and refers to the United Nations and international legal experts who have described the Israeli offensive as genocidal

They argue that Metsola’s remarks, such as describing Israel’s actions as “disproportionate” or referring to the crisis as a “humanitarian situation,” are inadequate given the severity of the events.

The letter cites reports by Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Palestinian territories as well as legal scholars who have identified Israel’s campaign as genocidal. It also references the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrants for Israeli leaders on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The authors of the letter say Metsola has undermined the EU’s credibility on human rights and rule of law by not using her platform to clearly condemn what they call an ethnic cleansing operation. They say her symbolic leadership has failed at a critical moment.

“Power and position demanded better of you,” the letter concludes. “In this key moment, you continue to fail the hundreds of thousands of citizens across Europe who want their representatives to stand up for what is morally right.”