Tonio speaks, Israel listens
What is it about this blinking government – and for that matter, its every predecessor way back as far as I can remember, back to my childhood days when there was an import embargo on Jaffa cakes because they were made with Jaffa oranges – that it feels somehow directly involved in the Israel/Palestinian conflict? Full-scale war breaks out anywhere else in the world and the government of Malta doesn’t have a view, or doesn’t spell it out in public. Israel launches a couple of rockets, and some Maltese government minister rushes out to foam at the mouth. I have to shout when I say this: WHY THIS IDENTIFICATION WITH THE PALESTINIANS?
I feel every sympathy for their cause. But what I don’t do is identify with them, no more than I identify with the people in Georgia or in Mogadishu. I look at it all as somebody sitting on the outside. Our government, on the other hand, clearly feels involved. It feels it has to say something every damn time.
The Sunday Times, 28th December 2008 – 13:39CET
Tonio Borg concerned at Middle East violenceAn Israeli soldier runs for cover as a siren warning of incoming rockets sounds near Kibbutz Sufa, just outside the southern Gaza Strip. Foreign Minister Tonio Borg expressed deep concern at the Israeli airstrikes which killed at least 205 people in the Gaza Strip.
Dr Borg called on Palestinian militants to halt all rocket attacks on Israel and said Israel must “do everything in its power to avoid civilian casualties”. The strikes, the most intense Israeli attacks on Gaza for decades, come days after a truce with Hamas expired.
Dr Borg said peaceful means were “the only way of reaching a lasting solution to the situation in Gaza” and called for support for the Palestinian government of Mahmoud Abbas. “I am deeply concerned by continuing missile strikes from Gaza on Israel and by Israel’s response. These missile strikes are designed to cause random destruction and to undermine the prospects of peace talks led by President Abbas.
“I understand the Israeli government’s sense of obligation to its population. Israel needs to meet its humanitarian obligations, act in a way to further the long-term vision of a two-state solution, and do everything in its power to avoid civilian casualties.
“Everyone understands that Israel has a right to defend itself but violence would not lead to a resolution. In the end, the only progress will be political progress and a settlement between the Israelis and the Palestinians. That is what’s desperately needed,” Dr Borg said.
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@ Daphne :they are our eastern neighbours who are brothers of our southern neighbours in the Med.
Would you go for a cruise in the Med if there is a war on?
[Daphne – Oh, I see, so the Palestinians are our neighbours but the Israelis a few metres away from them are not. And I don’t know about your knowledge of geography, but people in the Near East are hardly our neighbours. Our neighbours are in Sicily and Tunisia. I can’t follow your reasoning about cruises. What in heaven’s name has that got to do with it?]
Relax, there won’t be a war (if only…)
The identification with the Palestinians is a Mintoff – de Marco – Joe Mifsud – Fenech Adami creation. And the bleeding-heart nation swallowed it hook, line and sinker.
@H.P.Baxxter
You missed out one important name: Michael Frendo.
http://malta9thermidor.wordpress.com/2008/11/07/minding-our-own-business/
I don’t see anything wrong with Tonio Borg’s statement. It calls on both sides to show restraint.
[Daphne – When was the last time he expressed concern, out loud and in public, about violence anywhere else in the rest of the world?]
[Daphne – When was the last time he expressed concern, out loud and in public, about violence anywhere else in the rest of the world?]
Who cares? There’s always the first time.
We all know that you dislike Tonio.
[Daphne – Well, John, you and he share the same values. I don’t.]
It’s the same statement all EU foreign ministers issued. Besides, he was reciprocating the statement issued by the Palestinian president (Hamas’s enemy no 2), where he showered praise on Malta, last week.
@ Fausto:
Correct. Actually, I should have included just about everyone in the politico-intellectual milieu on this rock. When things don’t concern us, we should just shut up. Because the Republic Street keffiyeh antic then has to be counterbalanced by the synagogue kippa antic. And so on down the slippery slope.
We delude ourselves in thinking that such charades endear us to everyone. Au contraire, we’re despised by both sides.
Well, yes I guess his omission in not speaking out whenever there is injustice in the world is wrong, but that doesn’t mean he or any one of us should be quiet about this one.
As anyone with half a brain knows, this is nothing about the Israelis protecting themselves, and all about politics!
I sympathise with the Israeli nation because it is the only true democratic country in a region where democracy can hardly raise its head. On the other hand the hurt of the Palestinians is a real one (and exacerbated by their brother Arabs) as they have been used by one and all. I’m afraid that this is a region where peace cannot prevail – which is extremely ironic as it is the birthplace of at least three major religions. As for us speaking out about violence, why not? How would we then expect anyone to speak on our behalf when violence is visited upon us?
I feel sympathy for the Palestinians because they’re fighting for their very lives, their homes and children against unsanctioned Israeli aggression. For Israel, everyone is an enemy and they will not stop until their enemies are destroyed. To prove their unrelenting hatred, the Israelis cut off water and electricity supplies to Gaza Strip adding more misery to the Palestinian cause. And these are the same people who blabber endlessly to us about human rights and how much they have suffered. Seems they haven’t learned from history, that hate breeds hate. The Palestinians have a right to fight back against such brutality. Long live the fighters!
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20081230/local/protest-against-massacre-in-gaza-held-in-valletta
I still remember the shameful episode, where Guido de Marco held the trembling hands of Yasser Arafat. Watching that scene I cringed on my couch, hoping that not a lot of foreigners saw that sad episode.
I can’t understand why Maltese politicians are so eager to voice their concern whenever Israel reacts to the continuous bombardment they are subjected to. The citizens close to Gaza spend a lot of time in bomb shelters. Obviously nobody utters a word, unless Israel reacts. I feel so embarrassed to be represented by these politicians.
I used to think that it is only the MLP which is so fond of the Palestenians, but the PN are equally disappointing. De Marco was the worst. Nobody ever queried his close relationship with one-time terrorist Arafat.
The irony is that Islamists openly justify their terrorist acts in the Palestinian cause, but then claim privately that they do not want any Palestinian refugees within their territory. Lebanon was a case in point. It was a rich country until it was ‘taken over’ by the Palestinians and Arafat, who was moved on from country to country. It has never recovered since then.