Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1546363
12 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 30 AUGUST 2026 FEATURE condemnations never lead to action. Now, Malta has fully embraced this hy- pocrisy," Schembri says. He points to proposals for restrictions on trade with Israeli settlements. In- stead of supporting the use of qualified majority voting, Schembri argues, Mal- ta has insisted on unanimity, an impos- sible achievement. Malta was among the EU countries that did not back the initiative to ad- vance trade restrictions on goods from Israeli settlements through qualified majority voting. The initiative fell short of the support needed. Instead, Malta maintained that the measure should be pursued through the Common Foreign and Security Policy, requiring unanim- ity. Fearne has defended Malta's ap- proach on EU decision-making, argu- ing that Malta's influence within the Foreign Affairs Council is linked to pre- serving its ability to operate effectively among larger member states. But Schembri sees the position as symptomatic of the wider decline he describes. "For the first time ever we have a re- alistic chance to turn words into action and what does Malta do? We insist on a unanimous position knowing that this is not going to get us anywhere because countries like Germany will never sup- port a trade ban," Schembri says. And this is arguably the clearest missed opportunity yet. Malta's deci- sion illustrates the gap between con- demning a settlement expansion and doing something that could impose a tangible consequence. The travel-document controversy The issue was brought into sharper focus by Malta's recent decision to rec- ognise the Israeli Teudat Ma'avar travel document. The decision brings Malta into line with the rest of the Schengen area. But Schembri questions its timing. He asks: "Why are we suddenly rec- ognising the Israeli travel documents for new arrivals in Israel? Is it the right moment to do this? Have we learned nothing from how vital sanctions were in bringing the downfall of the apart- heid regime in South Africa?" Schembri argues that the move was perceived in Israel as another step to- wards normalising relations with an EU country at a time when Israel was un- der increasing international pressure. MaltaToday questioned the timing and the method of how the decision was presented in its editorial last Sun- day. This newspaper also asked why the announcement came from the Israeli foreign minister and whether Fearne had raised Israeli settler violence with Sa'ar. Fearne's reaction to the editorial was a statement he made on One TV on Sun- day morning. He insisted that Malta is not remaining silent and pointed to its diplomatic engagement with Israel and efforts within the EU. Fearne's reaction is important be- cause it suggests that he is sensitive to criticism and is willing to engage with it and possibly make amends. But the underlying question remains whether Malta has the political will to lead rather than reluctantly follow oth- er EU member states like Spain and Ireland that have been much more vo- ciferous than Malta. What has Malta lost? It would be too simplistic to say Mal- ta has abandoned Palestine. It has not. The more uncomfortable argument made by Evarist Bartolo and Karl Schembri is that Malta has lost some of the dignity, confidence and back- bone with which earlier generations of politicians confronted international pressure. The issue, therefore, is not whether Malta still supports Palestine, but whether it is prepared to take the lead and act when that support carries a price. That is ultimately a question of political character. A small country cannot dictate events, but it can decide whether its size becomes a reason for caution or a reason to defend the inter- national rules on which its own security depends. There are now reasons for cautious hope. The international climate sur- rounding Netanyahu has shifted con- siderably, including in the United States. The Israeli prime minister is be- coming an embarrassment even for the US. The test, however, is whether that changed climate gives Malta the confi- dence to move beyond condemnations and use the opportunities available to turn its stated principles into action. Ultimately, dignity is one of the few forms of soft power a small country possesses. Lead or follow. That is the question < FROM PREVIOUS PAGE Foreign Minister Chris Fearne (right) with Palestinian Ambassador to Malta Fadi Hanania (Photo: Foreign Ministry) Left: Israel has continued to expand its illegal settlements in the West Bank with the latest plans threatening the territorial continuity of what would be a future Palestinian state Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar (right) with EU High Representative Kaja Kallas in 2025 (Photo: EU)