Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1509870
9 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 18 OCTOBER 2023 policy chief Josep Borrel have cautioned against this ap- proach while governments in Spain, Ireland and Malta are increasingly uncomfortable with offering Israel a carte blanche for what UN agencies are describing as war crimes. Instead, the EU can afford to be more forceful in set- ting red lines for the Israeli response to Hamas's vicious attacks. The problem is that nobody knows what Israel's end game is. Can Biden trust Netanyahu? Much now depends on whether US policy is driven by an ideological commit- ment to support Israel at any cost or by a more realistic approach that recognises the complexities of the situation and the dangers of being dragged in a war presided over by Benjamin Netanyahu and his loony and dangerous far-right allies. As military analyst Amos Harel wrote on Haaretz last week: "There is an unusual combination of people at the top in Israel. On one hand, there is an unfit prime min- ister, a nearly Shakespearean figure who is facing the per- sonal danger of an ignomin- ious conclusion to an argua- bly brilliant career and facing him are a military brass who are smitten and consumed with guilt feelings. That's not a perfect recipe for con- sidered decision-making." Also weighing on US op- tions is also the prospect of being dragged into another Middle East war which risks undermining what New York Times columnist Thomas L. Friedman describes as "three of America's most important foreign policy interests right now": helping Ukraine defeat Russia; containing China; and counter balancing Iran by propping a pro-western bloc that includes Egypt, Israel and Saudi Arabia. The US can draw on the lessons learnt from its fail- ure to eradicate the Talib- an and stabilise Iraq and its greater success in weakening or eliminating Al Qaeda and Isis through a combination of surgical strikes and active collaboration with regional allies. Israel faces a stark choice between behaving like a re- gional player which can dig its roots as a regional eco- nomic powerhouse, or a permanently besieged set- tler state whose democratic institutions are increasingly corroded by authoritarian- ism. In the face the real exis- tential threat posed by Hamas and groups that still seek its destruction, this isn't an easy decision for Israel, but the US and, to some extent, the EU can play a role in steering Is- rael away from an irreversible course of action which could also drag them into a spiral, as probably envisaged by Ha- mas itself when it planned its hideous attack. Are we on MATTHEW FARRUGIA MALTESE metal band Damaged & Co. de- tailed their tour in Israel which was cut short on 7 October when Hamas launched its attack on Israel. "Our world was turned upside down," the band told MaltaToday, as they detailed how at one moment, they were focussing on their gigs around the north of Israel, and when the attacks started, their only concern was get- ting out of the country in one piece. Damaged & Co. arrived in Tel Aviv three days before the deadly attacks, where they travelled northward to Haifa. "The weather was beautiful, it was practically summer," in the multicultural city. After their first con- cert, the group travelled to Tel Aviv on 6 Oc- tober. On the day of the attacks, the band only immediately informed the Maltese Embassy and the foreign affairs ministry of their pres- ence in Israel. "Her Excellency Cecilia Attard Pirotta was of great help to us, and she never cut contact with us," the band said. The group said that when news of the at- tacks had started to spread, their local friends were astonished and furious, however they were, "faithful that whatever happened, Isra- el would come out of the situation stronger." The locals' biggest concerns revolved around their family and friends who were called to serve their country on the front lines. "Almost everyone suffered the loss of a love one," they said, adding that despite the circumstances, they offered to help the Mal- tese band till the very end. "As time went on, it was clear that this wasn't a usual attack," they said. Damaged & Co. stated that rockets started to fall on Jeru- salem, and "in an attempt to close the airport, rockets started to fall near Tel Aviv," where they were situated at the time. The group started to monitor the missile attacks through an app. "When we heard si- rens we went in between the blast doors and waited for the attacks to stop," the band said, adding that the rockets would take a bit less than three minutes to reach Tel Aviv. "We never saw rockets near us, but they sounded like fireworks," they explained. The band attempted to leave Israel as soon as possible, however they were worried as the airport in Tel Aviv was only operating flights from one terminal and airlines start- ed to cancel flights due to security concerns. "The Embassy informed us that Israel's na- tional airline had a flight out of Tel Aviv on 9 October so we booked our place," the group explained. Damaged & Co. had also booked a passage on a ship leaving from Haifa to Cyprus, and they even considered travelling to a neigh- bouring country by car, but the idea was quickly tossed out. When the day of their flight arrived, the band was surprised at the calm atmosphere within the airport despite all that was hap- pening in the country. "We checked in around five hours before the flight and start- ed to board the plane, but this wasn't the end of our adventure." In fact, their flight left around 90 minutes late due to a puncture in the plane's wheels. "We arrived in Slovenia about three and a half hours later and travelled to Croatia in a van, where we caught our flight to Malta on 11 October." The band explained that despite the danger- ous situation they were in, their biggest con- cern was for their families in Malta, who were worried sick. They said that the tension was palpable whenever sirens went off, and their trip to the Israeli airport was a tense affair as well. "Our thoughts were and still are with the friends that we left in Israel. They're living in constant fear, worried that they're going to lose someone dear to them." "We hope this conflict ends as soon as pos- sible," they concluded. Maltese band stuck in Israel detail their tense departure following Hamas attack