Malta should push the Palestinian cause and the pursuit of peace even more, especially through its position on the UN Security Council, Palestinian Ambassador Fadi Hanania said on TVM’s Xtra.
"We expect more from Malta, we expect Malta to really start talking about the implementation of UN resolutions and call for the independence of Palestine, and the return of refugees," the ambassador said.
Hanania said he is in constant talks with Maltese officials, including Foreign Minister Ian Borg, but he stills thinks much more needs to be done. He did acknowledge though Prime Minister Robert Abela’s pressure for the two-states solution.
Ambassador Hanania emphasised that the Palestinian issue is not limited to Hamas, and “it has been happening for a number of years."
While addressing the ongoing challenges in Palestine, he called for the international community to demand a stop of the attacks on Gaza.
Asked whether Israel can be expected not to defend itself, Hanania responded: "Israel is an occupation. How can you justify the one occupying the West Bank, Jerusalem, and Gaza to have a right to defend itself?"
"Israel holds 8,000 'hostages', with some sentenced for more than 35 years. Hostages in Gaza are treated well and we always push for this; we expect hostages to be given medicine and what they need. Unlike the Israelis who treat their hostages badly."
Hanania also expressed concern about the media landscape, stating, the Palestinian community was not always given equal treatment in reporting.
"We believe that Israel has more control of the media. Even in Malta, we were not happy with the coverage here in the beginning of October, but thank God we managed to get back on track,” he said.
He also underlined the importance of understanding the historical context, and claimed that the media tends to forget the root cause of the problem and deal with it as if this is only today's problem.
He called for a more neutral and informed media and an international community that works towards ending the crisis and supporting the rights and welfare of Palestinians.
