Enough already: we are not honorary Palestinians
I’m not crazy about the way the government of Malta – Labour or Nationalist – identifies with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and pronounces itself as though directly involved. I can’t remember when this overdeveloped empathy began, but it seems to have been happening for as long as I can remember.
It was years before I realised that Yasser Arafat was a terrorist who headed a terrorist organisation, and I don’t think anyone was surprised when it turned out on his death that he had been diverting money intended for the Palestinian people to bank accounts in Switzerland. In November 2003 The Daily Telegraph reported that more than $300 million of Palestinian Authority funds were diverted by Arafat into a previously undisclosed Swiss bank account and that the money could no longer be traced. The USA’s CBS network documentary 60 Minutes reported that same week that the account was held in the name of a British Virgin Island company and that it had since been closed, with the funds literally ‘vanishing’.
Just two months before that report, the International Monetary Fund, no less, disclosed that Arafat had diverted more than £560 million of Palestinian Authority funds between 1995 and 2000 to a bank account in Tel Aviv to which he and just one of his advisers, Mohammed Rashid, were sole signatories. Also in November 2003, the BBC broadcast a documentary which claimed that the Palestinian Authority paid members of the al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigade, an armed militia responsible for carrying out suicide attacks against Israelis, up to $50,000 a month (a small price for losing your life and killing others).
Some of the money that ‘disappeared’ when the account at the Lombard Odier Bank in Geneva was closed in 2001 came from tax refunds from the Israeli government to the Palestinian Authority for duty levied on imports that were destined for the Palestinian-run areas, all of which entered through Israeli ports. Other funds came from ‘fuel taxes’ which Israel was asked to pay into that same bank account in Tel Aviv.
I bring this up because Yasser Arafat was feted in Malta, and regarded as a friend by senior politicians on both sides of the house. Never was there a single word of criticism but rather the opposite: he and his cause were championed. In fact, his widow Suha Arafat is well integrated into Maltese society and still spends a lot of time here.
Though Arafat is gone, every time there is an explosion in the region the Maltese government, political groups and various non-governmental organisations begin to squawk and make public statements. Why? I don’t recall similar signs of interest and involvement when people in Georgia were bulldozed by the Russians. There has been no comment on what is happening in Somalia, and our government – led by a foreign minister who champions the Gift of Life movement – has actually established diplomatic relations with, unbelievably, Eritrea, where people are persecuted, tortured and killed for their beliefs.
I’d like to see the government shut up about the Palestinian cause (or at least try not to make it so obvious on whose side it’s on) if it is not going to take a similar interest in what’s going on in the rest of the world. The Palestinians are no more ‘our brothers’ than the Israelis are. After all, they have their origins in the same part of the Near East and come from the same genetic stock. It was religion – surprise! – which caused the original problems of division.
That said, a more balanced view of the Palestinian problem and greater interest in other crises elsewhere in the world can only be arrived at voluntarily. If the government wishes to carry on behaving as though the Palestinian crisis is looming large in Syracuse with the involvement of thousands of people who hold a Maltese passport, then so be it. It is answerable to the people but apparently too many people don’t mind. The same goes for the NGOs. If they want to ignore Georgia and have nothing to say about Malta’s newly-established diplomatic relations with Eritrea – which seems to be just a cynical move to make easier the repatriation of people fleeing persecution – then fine. It’s up to them. I think they should widen their horizons a little and stop behaving as though the Palestinians are the lost tribe of Malta, but then again, I’m not about to approve of the police getting involved.
When 200 people mobilised by, among others, the Graffiti Movement and the General Workers Union, marched through Valletta’s main drag a couple of days ago, chanting support of the Palestinian cause, things inevitably took an anti-USA and anti-Israel turn. People began to shout ‘Down with the USA’ (bit difficult, that) and ‘Down with Israel’ (a lot easier, but all the same) and the police officers present, acting on their own initiative and perhaps with some dim memory of life under Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici, took the organisers aside and told them that those slogans were ‘unacceptable’.
Unacceptable to whom, exactly? Things happen to remind me just how new a democracy this is. People chant things while marching and the police, unable to stop the march, try to control what they’re chanting instead. This is like that other incident when the police sequestered Mark Montebello’s anti-racism poster (he was in my class at St Aloysius College and I can’t call him ‘father’) during a march by racists, accusing him of provocation. I found that really disturbing.
The police appear unable to distinguish between disagreement with the verbal message of the chants and the right of those doing the chanting to chant the message. Mark Montebello had every right to hold up an anti-racism poster as racists were marching past. Members of the Graffiti Movement have every right to chant ‘Down with the USA’ if they want to, and that’s what they believe, and they’re not encouraging people to kill, maim or discriminate against US citizens.
I don’t agree with chants of ‘Down with the USA’, but it doesn’t stop me seeing that it is crucial to uphold the right of those protestors to chant ‘Down with the USA’ and to object most strongly to any police attempt at stopping them.
One police officer told a rally organiser “If they continue, we will have to stop the whole thing.” Oh really? And on what grounds – that it is illegal to shout ‘Down with the USA’ in Malta? I think the USA, with its cast-iron guarantees on free speech, would be the first to point out the wrongness of this. But the irony would have slipped right over the heads of those zealous members of our police force.
A dog with the memory of an elephant
The most interesting story of the week – to me – involved no wars, illegal immigrants or politicians but an animal. A pointer bitch called Shadow went missing from the care of her Gozo SPCA handler after a farmer threw stones at her to get her out of his fields. Days later she turned up at the Armed Forces base in Nadur, where a full four years ago she was first found by soldiers who then fed her for some time before calling the SPCA to pick her up.
It can’t have been a coincidence that she turned up there again accidentally while wandering. Two things about this story are astonishing: that she had retained for as long as four years some ‘memory’ of being fed and shown care at the Armed Forces base, and that the passage of such a great length of time, a third of a dog’s lifespan, had not eradicated the ‘scent memory’ which allowed her to find her way back. Pointers are truly remarkable creatures.
What struck me, too, is that she seems to have made a point of finding her way back to a place where she had been fed for just a short while, such a long time ago, rather than to the SPCA where she has lived and been shown great care for four years. I’ve always suspected that dogs, given the choice – which they rarely are, being animals – would opt for relative discomfort in a place where there are other humans and no other dogs, or at most, just another one with which they get along as a companion, rather than a place where there are more dogs than people. They appear to be stressed out by being forced to share space with other dogs round the clock. At least there was one pleasant story to ring in the New Year.
This article is published in The Malta Independent today.
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You really haven’t got a clue, do you – but well done for the research you did on Arafat – that should have been easy.
If I were you I’d stick to the safe Benoit mode so as not to make an ass of yourself. Otherwise, just leave to the US and don’t bother sending a postcard.
BTW, the people of Georgia were not bulldozed by the Russians as you say – it was the Georgian US puppet-tyrant that bombed South Ossetia, killing hundreds of Russian citizens. But you wouldn’t know that from your Jackie would you?
[Daphne – And a happy new year to you, too.]
Careful about the “Russians bulldozing Georgians” bit. You’re treading on eggs. The Georgians did a lot of bulldozing too.
You can’t blame Arafat for his frame of mind. It is a well known historical fact that his mentor was the grand Mufti of Jerusalem who, in World War II was one of the staunchest Nazi/Fascist collaborator in the region. Arafat’s widow who, I believe currently resides in Malta, was mentioned often in some EU reports dealing with EU funds meant for humanitarian relief for Palestinians that ended up diverted instead to some private bank accounts in Paris.
@Sybil – The Mufti of Jerusalem did indeed have a relationship with the Nazis.
So did a whole slew of religious and political leaders across Europe and the world. The point being ?
The fact is, the relationship in question has been manipulated by Israel and its supporters as a pretext for their persecution of the Palestinians. But the relationship between the Mufti and the Nazis was replicated across Europe, it does not prove anything we do not know already.
Eritrea, where people are persecuted, tortured and killed for their beliefs.
These things do not happen just in Eritrea but also in countries like Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Yemen and Saudi. Should Tonio Borg tell these countries also to sod off?
“When 200 people mobilised by, among others, the Graffiti Movement and the General Workers Union, marched through Valletta’s main drag a couple of days ago, chanting support of the Palestinian cause………………..”
Any of those 200 feels like commenting on the contents of these links especially the first one?
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1230111707087&pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3190798,00.html
The police in Malta have always struck me as being less interested in protecting the rights of Maltese citizens, and more like a “peacekeeping” force whose main goal is to keep things calm even if that goes against some pretty basic civil rights that we Maltese are supposed to enjoy. I have never been able to figure out whether this is a legacy of colonial times, or a case of clueless and poorly educated police officers, or just plain old laziness on their part (“hallini naqla bicca hobz bil-kwiet habib”).
Mrs Arafat lives in a house in St Julians close to a church. She actually expects that if there is a marriage ceremony/service in that church, no photos should be taken outside the church, in order to protect her privacy. Her child goes to an American school, with a driver/securityman waiting outside the school.. Why do I say all this? Because it irks me that the protesters at the rally you mentioned did not gather outside her house demanding that she re-diverts the funds stolen from the Palestinian people back to them in their hour of need. She could quite easily build a few hospitals with her ill-gotten funds, but then does she care?
[Daphne – Maybe we should be asking why, of all the gin joints, in all the towns, in all the world, she walks into ours. And Malta Today keeps craning its neck to look up its own bottom when there’s a big story sitting there all ripe for the taking. But then it probably supports the Palestinian cause, being staffed mainly by the loony left.]
So much for “newtralità u nonalinjament”. If it had been Mirjana Markovic she’d have Graffitti camped outside her door baying for blood.
@Tony Pace,
just checked German/Swiss online archives.
Madame Arafat(she had to leave Paris;-) is considered as a persona non grata everywhere else in the world.Also she is called a “femme fatale without a home” AND a financial expert:-))). So good old Gaddafi got her a home in Malta and a private detective from Israel says a “small” amount of the “vanished” money, 30 million dollars, is placed on deposit on a Maltese bank account.
Account name “Arafat Family”;-))
All pretty nebulous about that very welcome refugee Suha Arafat…and a great story indeed!
By the way she is planning to leave:
http://www.turkishweekly.net/news/61136/suha-arafat-seeks-return-to-homeland.html.
Orrite he!
Anyone remembers the time when our political leaders donned the kaffijja as they marched in solidarity down Republic street? Another minor political figure now somewhere in Brussels, wore it round his neck like the Queen would wear her strings of pearls.
I work as a volunteer at the Island Sanctuary in Delimara… have you ever been to the Gozo SPCA? Even a human in his right mind would not go back there…it’s a dungeon even though the volunteers there love the dogs. Some of our dogs have escaped while on a leash during walks and guess what…they all come back.
Oh Yes, our Government takes its espousement of the Palestinian cause seriously. Last year I was involved in trying to normalise Malta- Jewish relations, as I am close to the small Jewish community here. There was talk of a visit by Malta’s PM to Jerusalem, but it has never materialised, and never will, I suspect. Not whlst we still have the Joe Mifsuds and some significant others still around espousing the Palestinian cause.
It is surely of concern that Arafat and Co. cynically robbed their “brothers” of their money, and milked the aid pouring in, so that little now remains. The CIA thinks that Arafat was worth six billion US dollars. With that kind of money you could build a bevy of schools, hospitals and have enough left over to build a decent airport and power station. Instead, Arafat’s wife and, I have no doubt, some others, are on the gravy train, leaving the PA with egg on their faces every time they are asked about it. The PA said it did a deal with Suha, and I wonder how many skeletons there are in that particular closet. I mean, the PA still has some military prowess, and it could at least try and get its money back.
I suspect the same thing is happening in Gaza. The leaders of Hamas are probably milking the Palestinians in the same way.The Palestinain cause has always been a cash cow, to be milked by those with the strongest pair of hands. The Palestinians were ever thus, trusting their strongest leaders with everything they have, even if that strength manifested itself also in amassing lucre by whatever means.
In the meantime, Malta eschews all that is Jewish and Israeli, and even from a economic point of view, loses access to Jewish-backed businesses investing here. I think it’s still a hang-up from our Catholoc formative years, when we were taught that the “lhud” were responsible for killing Christ. That it was meant to happen that way does not enter into our minds. The Jews are not dirty because of it. When will we ever learn? I have had the Jewish community sigh in dismay here in Malta because no one in Government is interested in their side of the story whenever there is a conflict.They are gentle about it, but it hurts them. Kemm ha ndumu injoranti?
@ Mario : I think there is another reason why we do not make any trade or business with Israel.I stand to be corrected but there are companies in Malta who do business with Arab companies who impose on our companies that they don’t have any business relations with Jews.
U hallik milli l-Lhud qattlu ‘l Kristu! As if we did not eat Jaffa oranges 40 years ago.We also had an Ambassador who was shot at in Sliema in Mintoff’s era, her name was Ester …..
I don’t believe business people will lose an opportunity because of any hang-ups.
I see that there are Maltese companies who import quality agricultural products from Israel.
The killing of the prominent Palestinian Fatah member in front of a Sliema hotel,when Guido was our minister of foreign affairs, did not help improve matters between the two countries.
I fully agree with Mario Debono on the interaction with Israel. There are so many potential links – business, cultural etc. There is so much that we can learn, especially inthe areas of agriculture, irrigation and energy. The Israelis have literally created a wealthy nation out of the desert. The Palestinians were and still are basically a tribal community. Shame on the Maltese government and shame on key politicians for constantly bow their head in front of the Palestinians, and ignoring the decent neighbour, Israel.
I am relieved that this topic is finally on the agenda. I always wondered why Malta has always ignored Israel. I remember a columnist, Simone Zammit Endrich, who was taken to court for stating the obvious facts on the Palestinians. She also tried to compare them to the Israelis.
[Daphne – I’m not keen on the ‘Israelis are better than Palestinians’ argument. That’s not the point here. The point is that Malta is not involved and shouldn’t behave as though it is involved. If one Maltese government after another continues to mouth off in this way, then we will have to wake up to the possibility that it’s a question of, rather than ‘cherchez la femme’, looking for the money and which politician/s may be linked to that money. It’s not by coincidence that Mrs Arafat is living in Malta.]
Spot on Daphne.
Simone Zammit Endrich was prosecuted inciting racial hatred against Arabs. Her bile was perfectly consistent with the hateful nature of Zionism – supremacist, indifferent to even the basic human rights of non Jews. Fortunately she showed the decency to fade into miserable obscurity after her legal debacle.
The Israelis may have created wealth out of the desert – at the expense of millions of dispossessed Palestinians – with the help of the $3 billion dollars a year the Americans pour into their economy. Given the trend to boycott Israel across Europe, Malta could do worse than to distance themselves from this incredibly dangerous little nation……
http://www.jewishtimes.com/index.php/jewishtimes/news/jt/israel_news/israel-europe_ties_showing_strains/11887
http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/2009/04/26/karl.html
Malta will shortly be opening an embassy in Tel Aviv, and a diplomatic representation in Ramallah (goes without saying). We’re sending an ambassador who is Jewish, so that might go a long way in patching things up.
[Daphne – There are Jews in Malta’s diplomatic corps? Or have they trawled through Malta’s minuscule Jewish community and picked out a political appointee on the basis of religion? And you mean they haven’t found a Maltese Muslim for Ramallah? It gets worse and worse. Commonsense says send Christians to both places and don’t get involved, or even better send non-believers on the basis that they speak the languages, are trained diplomats and known what they’re doing.]
” It’s not by coincidence that Mrs Arafat is living in Malta.”
Malta was always a safe haven for politicians and their relatives.
BTW :I think the ambassador’s name was Ester Millo.
No, this time it’s not a political appointment. The chap, who is a diplomat, is Jewish, and can probably speak Hebrew to boot. You say we should send Christians to both places. That’s a tricky one. Most countries which have diplomatic relations with Israel tend to choose, all else being equal, a Jew as their ambassador. The Ramallah appointment is different, since the Palestinian territories are not defined as a homeland for all the world’s Muslims. But I really shouldn’t be touching this one with a ten foot bargepole.
Actually, the embassy has already been opened, since the existing honorary consulate in Tel Aviv has been given embassy status, with the ambassador, Dr Abraham Borg, now resident in Israel.
[Daphne – I had no idea he’s Jewish. I thought he was called Abraham in the same way other people I knew were called Moses etc.]