Waqt dibattitu fil-Parlament Ewropew dwar is-sitwazzjoni f’Gaża, l-Ewroparlamentari Laburista Daniel Attard wissa li l-kredibbiltà tal-Ewropa qed tiġi kompromessa b’nuqqas ta’ azzjoni konkreta.
Attard fakkar fil-wegħda solenni ta’ wara t-Tieni Gwerra Dinjija: “Qatt Aktar. U madankollu llum, f’Gaża, qed naraw ġenoċidju jseħħ quddiem għajnejna.”
Huwa saħaq li din mhux kwistjoni ta’ reliġjon jew antisemitizmu, iżda l-politika ddikjarata tal-Gvern Iżraeljan ta’ Benjamin Netanyahu u l-ministri estremisti tiegħu fosthom Itamar Ben-Gvir u Bezalel Smotrich, li b’mod ċar jinċitaw il-mibegħda u l-vjolenza.
L-MEP Laburista kkundanna l-ipokresija tal-istituzzjonijiet Ewropej u qal li qed “nippreżentaw ruħna bħala l-gwardjani tal-liġi internazzjonali, imma meta l-konvinzjoni ma taqbilx mal-konvenjenza politika, u meta d-dinjità umana tikkuntrasta mal-interessi kummerċjali, nikkumpromettu. Indawru wiċċna n-naħa l-oħra.”
Attard saħaq li kull jum li l-UE ma tissospendix l-Ftehim ta’ Assoċjazzjoni mal-Iżrael, ma tissanzjonax Ministri estremisti, u tippermetti l-iskambju tal-kummerċ u l-armi, ikun ifisser tradiment tal-wegħda ‘Qatt Aktar’.
Daniel Attard kkonkluda li jekk l-Unjoni Ewropew ma tonorax din il-wegħda ta’ missirijietna b’mod konsistenti, mela allura din ma tkun tfisser assolutament xejn.
Europe cannot remain silent in the face of genocide in Gaza
Never Again must mean something – or it means nothing at all
During a debate in the European Parliament on the situation in Gaza, Labour MEP Daniel Attard warned that Europe’s credibility is being compromised by its failure to take concrete action in the face of atrocities.
Attard recalled the solemn pledge after the horrors of the Second World War: “Never Again. And yet today, in Gaza, genocide unfolds before our eyes.”
He stressed that this is not about religion or anti-Semitism, but the declared policy of the Israeli government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu together with extremist ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, who openly incite hatred and violence.
The Labour MEP condemned the hypocrisy of European institutions: “We present ourselves as guardians of international law, but when conviction collides with political convenience, and when human dignity clashes with commercial interests, we compromise. We look away.”
Attard insisted that every day the EU fails to suspend the Association Agreement with Israel, to sanction extremist ministers, and continues to allow the flow of trade and arms, it is betraying the promise of Never Again.
Attard concluded that if the European Union fails to honour this pledge consistently, then it will mean nothing at all.