Malta must recognise Palestinian State immediately, Labour MP says

Malta should recognise the state of Palestine immediately, Labour MP and former minister Edward Zammit Lewis said on Friday after France announced it would do the same at the next UN General Assembly in September.

Zammit Lewis said that France's recognition of the Palestinian state is an important step given the country's status as a member of the UN Security Council and G7.

However, he said that Malta also needs to take the same step now.

"I always said that Malta must make this step but must choose the right time. Now I believe that Malta must take this step immediately, but must also continue to build alliances at a European and global level in favour of Palestine and against the unacceptable atrocities being perpetrated in Gaza, which we cannot keep ignoring," he said.

He said he is encouraging Prime Minister Robert Abela and Foreign Minister Ian Borg to carry this out immediately.

Zammit Lewis is also the chairman of the foreign affairs committee in parliament.

Malta had said it would recognise a Palestinian state but is yet to take the step. Abela first indicated that this would happen at a UN meeting that was supposed to be held in June. However, that meeting was postponed after Israel launched an attack on Iran.

After this, the government said it is committed to recognising a Palestinian state once the appropriate conditions are in place.