Watch: ‘This Is Genocide, Apartheid And Ethnic Cleansing’ – Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca On Gaza
Former Maltese President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca has called out Israel’s military campaign in Gaza for being a “genocide, apartheid, ethnic cleansing and a multifaceted assault on life”.
Speaking virtually at the Freedom for Palestine International Conference in Paris, Preca candidly criticised Israel’s inhumane actions in Gaza with a Palestinian flag draped over her shoulders.
She cited stark figures released by international institutions highlighting the severe humanitarian and health crises in Gaza. With over 52,000 people dead, more than 90% of the population displaced and 470,000 on the brink of starvation, the world is witnessing a population being brutally wiped from its own land.
“This is not collateral damage,” she said. “This is genocide by every legal and moral definition.”
Preca stressed that silence is complicity. “This moment requires a powerful call to conscience. It is a moral and political imperative to demand an immediate and permanent ceasefire”.
The former president went on to highlight the specific vulnerabilities of children in Gaza saying they are the most vulnerable and invisible victims of war, especially children with disabilities.
“Their wounds are not only physical but psychological and emotional. Therapeutic tools should be made available to every child in Gaza because they are not just survivors, they are the future.”
Preca also affirmed her support for the creation of a coalition of governments, civil society, artists and educators to act collectively to dismantle the structures of apartheid, occupation and impunity that have “made this genocide possible”.
“Let’s be clear, peace without justice is an illusion and justice without accountability is an insult to survivors.”
Preca stated powerfully that passive neutrality in the face of genocide is “complicity” while silence is betrayal. She said that Malta has long stood for dialogue and diplomacy but today, the country must stand firmly for “truth, justice and life”.
She concluded by celebrating that, in the coming weeks, Malta will recognise Palestine, after Prime Minister Robert Abela hinted that this would take place following a United Nations conference on 20th June.
“Viva Palestina u viva l-Palestinjani,” she ended in Maltese.
READ NEXT: Manwel Curmi Identified As Gozo Swimming Incident Victim
