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Israel–Malta relations
Bilateral relations From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Israeli–Maltese relations are the official relations between the State of Israel and the Republic of Malta which encompasses the diplomatic, economic, and cultural interactions. Israel and Malta have maintained mixed relations since ties were established in 1965, with some periods of tension.
Background
Prior to the establishment of the State of Israel and the independence of Malta, both territories were part of the British Empire as Mandatory Palestine and the Crown Colony of Malta. From 1919 to the 1920s, British colonial authorities in Malta attempted to encourage Maltese people to emigrate to Palestine, but these efforts were largely unsuccessful.[1] The 1922 census of Palestine lists 38 Maltese speakers in Mandatory Palestine (12 in Jerusalem-Jaffa and 26 in the Northern District), including 33 in municipal areas (4 in Jerusalem, 2 in Jaffa, 21 in Haifa, 5 in Nazareth, and 1 in Beit Jala).[2]
Jewish communities have existed intermittently in Malta since antiquity.[3]
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Relations
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Formal diplomatic relations between Israel and Malta were officially established on 1 December 1965,[4] the year after the State of Malta became independent. As of 2025, Malta has an embassy in Tel Aviv,[4] but Israel has no embassy in Malta, with the nearest Israeli embassy being in Rome.[5]
Malta maintained a policy of neutrality during the Arab–Israeli conflict, although when Dom Mintoff was Prime Minister of Malta during the early 1970s he was "increasingly unbalanced on Arab-Israeli issues" according to American documents leaked in the Kissinger cables. On 11 July 1973, Mintoff argued in a parliamentary debate that Palestinian terrorism was justified due to the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories, prompting a formal protest by the Israeli ambassador to Malta Drora Ben Yacov. In December 1973, Mintoff reportedly considered breaking relations with Israel after two Israeli patrol craft had anchored in Maltese territorial waters without communicating with the Maltese government.[6] According to declassified documents from the British government, Mintoff told British Prime Minister Edward Heath that Malta was willing to assist the United Kingdom in mediating the Arab–Israeli conflict, but nothing came of this due to Malta's strained relations with Israel as a result of the islands' relations with Libya. Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir reportedly had a "strong personal aversion" to Mintoff.[7]
The Maltese government has recognised Palestinian aspirations for statehood since 1988, and has traditionally had close and friendly relations with Palestine.[8] On 26 October 1995, Palestinian leader Fathi Shaqaqi was assassinated in Sliema, Malta by an unidentified gunman and an accomplice who are believed to have been Mossad operatives.[9] Maltese Prime Minister Eddie Fenech Adami and opposition leader Alfred Sant both wore a Palestinian keffiyeh during a protest in 2002, angering the Israeli ambassador to Malta.[8]
On 24 April 2010, Maltese activist Bianca Zammit was shot in the leg by Israel Defense Forces soldiers while she was at a peaceful pro-Palestinian protest along the Gaza–Israel barrier.[10] In the aftermath of the shooting, Israeli ambassador to Malta Gideon Meir criticized the International Solidarity Movement which Zammit was a member of, and after a protest by the Maltese government Israeli foreign minister Avigdor Lieberman formally apologised for the incident.[11] An investigation was carried out and two IDF soldiers were given suspended sentences after being found guilty of going against their orders. Maltese foreign minister Tonio Borg visited Israel and occupied Palestine and spoke out against Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip in December 2010.[10]
Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat visited Israel in 2013, his first foreign visit after assuming office.[12] Israel Post and MaltaPost issued a joint postage stamp issue to commemorate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two states on 28 January 2014.[13][14] Direct flights by Air Malta between Malta and Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv commenced in April 2017, and the following year Malta received 22,645 visitors from Israel according to the Malta Tourism Authority.[12] In February 2019, Malta's embassy in Tel Aviv moved to larger premises, and an April 2019 The Times of Israel article described Israel–Malta relations as appearing "rock-solid" apart from some differences over the status of Jerusalem and the Israeli–Palestinian conflict.[12]
Relations between Israel and Malta have become more strained due to the ongoing Gaza war and genocide. In April 2024, Malta supported granting full UN membership to the State of Palestine[15] and this led to a formal protest by Israel.[16] A Gaza Freedom Flotilla vessel was attacked by drones in international waters approximately 14–17 nautical miles (26–31 km) off Malta's coast on 2 May 2025; it has been alleged that the attack was perpetrated by the Israeli military, although this claim has not been verified.[17] Maltese Prime Minister Robert Abela has announced that Malta will formally recognize a Palestinian state at the September 2025 meeting of the United Nations General Assembly.[18]
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References
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