All we want for Christmas

We should lobby for a permanent ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war. One cannot remain indifferent to the long years of suffering and humiliation of the Palestinian people.

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Inspired by Mariah Carey’s Christmas song, All I want for Christmas, can I ask: what do we want for Christmas?

I believe that, beyond giving and receiving gifts, we ought to rediscover a number of values that have defined us throughout the years. One of these values is the quest for peace.

Peace is not an axiom. Neither is it a political slogan to appease the masses.

Peace is a daily decision and a mindset. It is a commitment to seek and uphold the common good.

Everlasting peace also needs to be accompanied by other values, including justice.

There is no peace without justice.

Currently, we are experiencing two major international conflicts. Throughout the centuries, Europe has experienced too many devastating wars not to understand that war can never be a viable option.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has been dragging on now for over 21 months. It has brought misery and death to thousands of innocent people.

Much closer to home, we are witnessing the re-escalation of the Palestine-Israel conflict, which has been a stain on the international community for too long. I have no qualms in stating that both sides have committed war crimes against innocent people, in particular against children and the elderly.

As much as I strongly condemn Hamas’s barbaric and horrendous terrorist attacks, Israel’s response has been completely unacceptable. Israel cannot justify the killing of over 4,000 children and the carpet-bombing of an entire people.

While it is our duty never to forget the Holocaust and the suffering and deaths of millions of Jews at the hands of the Nazis during World War II, one cannot remain indifferent to the long years of suffering and humiliation of the Palestinian people and their shattered aspirations.

This year, the Palestinian people commemorated the 75th anniversary of the ‘Nakba’, ‒ ‘catastrophe’ in Arabic ‒  which refers to the mass displacement and dispossession of Palestinians during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war. For the first time in the UN’s history, this anniversary was commemorated at UN headquarters in New York, pursuant to a mandate by the UN General Assembly.

Tragically, Israel’s out-of-proportion response to the Hamas terrorist attacks was short-sighted. Israel has sown the seeds of tomorrow’s aggression. Violence begets violence.

The trauma experienced by today’s Palestinian children will be sadly abused by extremists who will turn some of these devastated children into tomorrow’s terrorists, made to believe that revenge is the answer. Israeli security is secured only when it actively accepts and works toward a two-state solution.

On the other hand, Malta cannot sit on the fence in front of evil. We are obliged to be builders and promoters of peace. We must stand up for humanity.

It was heartening that the UN Security Council adopted a resolution drafted by Malta calling for “extended humanitarian pauses” in Gaza to allow safe passage for humanitarian aid. Credit goes to our ambassador to the UN, Vanessa Frazier, her team and to Foreign Minister Ian Borg.

A truce, brokered by the US, Egypt and Qatar did indeed start on November 24, and humanitarian aid was allowed to enter Gaza as Hamas released hostages in exchange for Israel releasing Palestinian prisoners. Sadly, the truce ended on December 1 as Israel resumed its attacks.

Malta must now lobby for a permanent ceasefire.

Over the years, our foreign policy has been consistent in supporting international efforts aimed at a peaceful and negotia­ted resolution to the conflict with the aim of establishing the State of Palestine living side by side with the State of Israel in peace and security.

Locally, we also need to be bridge builders. Too many times we, sadly, chose to highlight our divergences rather than what unites us. Hence, Christmas is the perfect opportunity for us to change.

Christmas is based on a story of a baby who grows up to speak about the values of peace, gene­rosity, human dignity but, above all, love and acceptance.

May we find time this Christmas to step out of the shadow of our egos and open our hearts to our fellow brethren, whoever they may be. If we do so, then our society will be a far better place.

Give peace a chance. May I wish you all a happy Christmas.

Shalom Israel, Salam Gaza, Спокій Ukraine, Mir Russia.

(This article was published on Times of Malta – 8 December, 2023)