Video: Muslims in Malta protest against siege in Gaza

some are linking the Hamas uprising in Gaza with the uprising of the Jews in the Warsaw ghettos..

@D.Vella

Your quote "The land ofPalestine would revert to it's original owners.In all probability Jew and Arab will live cordially side by side...." WRONG

Hamas will kill off Fatah, including Mahmood Abbas and all the Jews living there.

Get real please.

According to the Bible we are at the end times, now we wait till when all nations will turn against Israel because God has permitted so, but in the end God will not permit and will save them, then many Jews will turn to God and will accept Jesus Christ and they will go to every corner of the world to continue to Evangelise and then the temple of Solomon will be build again where the Anti-Christ will reign from there, these are all prophecies of the Holy Bible.

Please everyone read the Holy Bible is the manual book of your lives, God left us everything in it to every detail to what is going to happen also at the end of times, its all in there, will be a shame to miss it out !!!!

@Alex Ellul

Here's the answer you require.

The land ofPalestine would revert to it's original owners.In all probability Jew and Arab will live cordially side by side as they did for thousands of years before the Zionists took over.

@Victoria Bugeja: You ended your latest comment thus "Stop these bloody attacks and let these people live". Is this addressed towards Hamas?

So according to you I do not have the right to judge what others say? Then why are you judging me even calling me blind? What's good for the goose....

To all pro-Hamas commentators here: I asked a question to you and none have dared an answer yet: Here goes again:

What would happen to the state of Israel if Israel decides to unilaterally disarm itself, throw away all its weapons, disband its armed forces?

Next time you comment, please commence with a simple answer to this question.

Why don't they go into the streets to demonstrate against their countries' dictators who put them in prison and take revenge on their families' if they happen to critisize their leaders. Or when some women blows herself and the women and children around her in Iraq. Or when HAMAS in its fight against the PLO and its supporters threw them off roofs. If they do not respect their own how can they respect others?

Isreal is defending its citiziens and all those who live within Israel. I know many of you out there have been indoctrinated to hate Jews for being Jews by 'religious' indoctrination however, you should remember that Israel's citiziens are not only Jewish - but Muslim, Christian, Budhists, secular and so on. Have people forgotten the Sudanese (Muslims) who fled to Israel from Egypt seeking refuge?

Also remember that Jew is a person of the Jewish faith not a race. You can find Jews of all colours and nationalities as well as Israeli Jews. So remember in your every day dealing you might be dealing with a Jew - they have no horns on their head by the way.

how many south americans, africans etc were killed to convert to catholicism?! how many people died in the inquisition (millions), the crusades?
Stop trying to give a false image to the catholic church. In gaza or iran you can't do the demostrations like in malta, but so what? we live in a liberal country and everyone can demonstrate for his/her ideas. I'm pretty sure there were even catholics protesting, i participated in the first protest although i don't practise any religion. I wasn't there as a supporter of hamas, i was just protesting for the massacre of innocent people.
Till today, around 600 innocent people died, people whose land was given to the zionists.

On radio 4 today, it was reported that Palastine has received millions of dollars in aid from the U.N.Over the last few years. Their government chose to let the people stay poor, instead they have spent most of the money on weapons, people have blogged saying that the rockets are rudimentry, rockets that can go 25 miles , are sofisticated, & very expensive. Too many apologists for Hamas on this web site. They have sewn the seeds , let them reap the whirlwind

mur ipprova rodd jew uri is salib f'pajjizhom !!!!!!!!!!!

How about protesting against Hamas daily firing of rockets against civilians. in Israel.
Whilst sympatising with the plight of the Palestinian People, and, am foursquare, for a homland of their own, logic defies me when it comes to comprehend such one-sided reactions. Why is it, that such people never, ever, deemed it fit to stage such protests against the actions of a terrorist organisation such as Hamas!!!!!!!

NO TO WAR...... ANY KIND OF WAR .....WHOSE EVER AND WHERE EVER

Dear I mifsud, i will not say that i`m a practising catholic, neither did i say i did`nt feel for the people of Palestine. It really does`nt matter whether a protester is muslim, catholic, hebru or whatever nationality BUT there has to be a limit to certain things and if you read my comment again, try to ask yourself what i meant to say within " " [the inverted coma] then and only then you`ll maybe understand . One last comment to you is, i`ve lived , work and played with people from most countries when i lived abroad. I`ve learnt alot about cultures, have you?

I wanted to say I disagree completely with you Alex Ellul, i think you are a bit blind about this argument..... Ithink you are judging what the others say.
I agree with Ri Bugeja and Justin Meli. We are in a democracy and we are here to condemn all kind of atrocities these people are suffering, especially the Palestine people.
I am tolerant and non racist, and i believe a person doesn't have to be only Muslim or Christian or else Jew to notice that these people aren't living their life cause someone is not letting them living it. Chldren simply have no life cause tehy are killed. Have you seen the attack on the UN school on today's news?
To that person who didn't like that Peppi Azzopardi was in the protest I would like to say if a person like Peppi Azzopardi or someone else goes to a protest like this that means he has an opinion and as long as we live in democracy he can show his opinion and he did so ...

If other protests like this will be held I would like to be present
Stop these bloody attacks and let these people live

@ deb bugeja , I agree & well said comment

Is this EU double standard?

A 2001 EU definition of terrorist acts describes them as seriously damaging a country or international organisation, including attacks on civilians, a person's life that can cause death; attacks on "the physical integrity of a person" and acts causing extensive destruction to government or public facilities, transport systems or infrastructure
How this fit with the following:
Bombing Libyan Air line plane:
Libyan Arab Airlines number 114
Back to the 1970’s
On February 21, 1973, a Libyan Arab Airways Boeing 727 with 104 passengers was shot down by the Israeli Air Force. The aircraft was shot down by a pair of Israeli Air Force F-4E Phantom. Do you remember about this crash? How do you call this?

The no hostile Arabs, Muslim and Jew relation is the longest yet least discussed after 1948. (Why? - the answer is the Zionist).

I could not comprehend the logic behind many incorrect, scaremonger and Anti-Muslims comments.

After second world war the Jews were not welcomed to stay in Europe, and Europe made every thing possible to get rid of the Jews, so with the help of the UK, the Jews immigrated to on the Palestinian’s territory.

Why the Jew had to be compensated on the Palestinians land?
If they (Jews) were settled in Palestine, why they had to live in a border-less country?

Here we must distinguish between the Jews and Zionists, the latter is a racist movement that eventually created what is known today as Israel.

As I suggested many times before. The solution in to core point:
1- Two disarmed (nuclear-free states living peacefully next to each other.
2- No more settlements to be built on Palestinian peoples land

I say so and I very much doubt such solution will ever be accepted by the Zionist state!

Oh no! Some Maltese who may also be Muslim decided to carry his Maltese flag while exercising his constitutional right to free speech! People should should stop their false moralizing to try and hide their Islamophobia.

Believing that these people have a right to protest Israels aggression does NOT mean you support Hamas. Many Muslims do not support Hamas.

I am so disgusted by all of the reactions by such a devout christian country. Whatever happened to showing compassion for those less fortunate? Consider that these protesters are without a home, from a war-torn nation, penniless and separated from family and loved ones. This protest is against the respect for life of the common man. Innocents and children are dying, hungry and homeless. Though the plight of the illegal immigrant has little to do with this issue- consider that their lives are ten times more difficult and filled with suffering than you will ever understand. Picking on them is shameful and a measure of ignorance.
Maltese people should be proud that their nation is joining in on the world wide protest and bringing awareness to the injustices that are happening. Chew on that thought while you reconsider the situation these poor people are in. See the big picture people!

Using our nation flag in the protest is totally wrong. but I guess this is just the begining

Mr Sciortino...
I am ashamed and sad that you are a citizen of my beautiful Malta. We live in a free country and it's about time that the sheltered Maltese are exposed to the rest of the world. We should welcome these different cultures. And so what if these Arabs are not Muslims? This is about poor people being bombed day and night. Who cares if they are Muslims or not? And Mr Sciortino please don't tell me that you are a practicing Catholic....surely your words are not what the Church preaches.

Bdw, this must be like round hundred in the ever-going conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. However, this time round I've noticed something different.

Usually, even in Malta, public opinion sides with the Palestinians.

This time round public opinion sides with Israel. We must remember this isn't a conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. There's no war in the West Bank.

This is a war between Israel and Hamas, a terrorist organization ELECTED by the Palestinians, it was their choice. Now the Palestinians know that electing Hamas results in disaster.

I support Israel on this one. May the Israelis prevail.

For the Hamas apologists here, read this:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1106605/Synagogue-set-ablaze-Anti-Semitic-assaults-soar-UK-following-Israels-invasion-Gaza.html

Reasoned behaviour indeed!

Strange, but I heard more... "Islam will prevail", "Mohammad and Jesus are both prophets" (so?), "Allahu akbar"....
Why weren't these reported in this article?

I bet my head you won't last more than half a minute if you cried out "Jesus is the son of God" in Arab capitals such as Baghdad, Tripoli, Algiers, Khartoum, Cairo and the rest.

Yet they worship in full view. It was worse in Milan... hundreds if not thousands in front of the city's main cathedral bowing down and worshipping and shouting Muslim slogans in front of the Duomo.

Yet political correctness allows for open defiance of people's sentiments.

Imagine the fate of 200 or so christian minority protesting against Hamas atrocities in Iran or Saudi Arabia just to mention two rigid muslim nations? They would be surely beheaded and such acts would be posted on the internet for everyone to watch - reminiscent of the Al Zarqawi terrorist faction in Iraq who beheaded so many foreign journalists for no apparent motive just because they were Americans or British. Alternatively try to imagine a small christian chapel in the middle of Teheran or any other muslim city as opposed to mosques spread all over the western world.

It is a known fact that Islam is much less tolerant and undemocratic religion than christianity.

Just try holding a similar demontration in Gaza, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia etc to protest against oppression of Christian minorities. You'd be given a quick, sharp, painful and PERMANENT lesson in the realities of religious extremism......perhaps beheaded live on the Internet......stoned to death............mobbed and butchered........mutilated......take your pick. All are common when extremist religious fanatics get into power.

Fundamentalist Islam is scary indeed........

@Ri Bugeja: If you are agreeing with Justin Meli then your protest was not against the Gaza siege but in favour of the destruction of the state of Israel. SHAME. That is why there is a war in Palestine. Hence your Maltese flag-waving was truly shameful.

The brandishing of the Maltese is either a genuine mistake or sheer arrogance. We Maltese have nothing in common with an outlawed and proven terrorist organisation such as Hamas.
The demonstration is also out of place in Malta. Hamas' problems with Israel are of their own making. Hamas are reaping the benefits of their blind belief in violence. They are the only ones to blame for the misery they brought upon their own people. But at least the Muslims did not end up using violence against the policemen on duty and vandalising the city as they did in practically all the other places where they demonstrated.

@IGalea: Yesterday, under another another but similar news item I asked to reply the following question, but I do not think that you or any other Pro-Hamas lobbyist replied: Here goes:

What do you think will happen to the state of Israel if it were to dispose of all its armoury?

Can anyone hazard a reply?

I am Maltese and I am Muslim. I would protest against any atrocity being done but it is not fair that most of you have decided that Maltese people should not protest using the Maltese Flag. If there is something that needs to be protested about in the world, we should raise our voice and not stay quiet just because we're a tiny drop in the ocean. Justin Meli, you are right in your comments. What if someone knocked your door and forced you to go out of your home just because his great, great, great grandfather used to live there in the first place?! That is how Israel have decided that the land is theirs. I can assure you that most of the people were not illegal immigrants and just because we're muslims we're not all terrorists. We live peaceful lives just like most of you. H Gatt, the people who marched during the protest aren't the arabs who have power to change what is being done. Not all muslims are arabs and I can tell you that around the world, most muslims and otherwise have had enough of this war. May God bring peace to Palestine.

'
@ Joseph Ellul

Maltese central for orginised muslim protests shouting allah u akbar . Times have changed but Malta will find that the muslim creed remains the same. "If you are not a muslim you must become a muslim or they will kill you and your family"

Is God is not great in what you believe in?
How many Maltese were killed because they refused to convert?

Israel is regarded by the whole world as a gang of terrirsts, if you cant see it, mela u have a problem man
------------------------------------

Election melee for a terrorist government?

How many kids, women and civilians should be killed to fill a ballot box in Israel Desperate-for-victory (Ms. Tzipi Livni And Mr. E Barak) in the coming election?
What would atrocities, infanticides and mass murder of today’s peoples would produce in the coming future?
I join my voice the millions of peoples demonstrating on the four corners of the globe and loudly say.

Stop war now.
Stop building more settlements on Palestinian peoples lands.
Stop occupation. Stop occupation to both Lebanon and Syria

Your self-defense claims do not hold water any more.

@S. EllulBonici: If as you said: "One very simple fact is that world wide Israel control the media." Then why aren't journalists, cameramen and anchormen sending us horrible images of all the massacres currently doing the rounds in Africa? Darfur, Congo, Somalia etc.

The rule of thumb here is: Left-wingers are anti Israel. I remember a time when our left wing Maltese government was tryiing to indoctrinate us against Israel (Golda Meir time) to appease Libya and other Arab nations that were at that time in cahoots with that evil empire, now defunct, thank God, the Soviet Union.

The anti-Israelite lobby is nothing but a remnant of those times.

Once Hamas are neutralised, there will be a peace agreement between the Palestinians and the Jews.

can they(the protesters) please tell me what is the difference that they made? ? ! !....with all due respect to my maltese compatriots ; these people dont even listen to the U.S.A and you sincerely think they care a penny about 200 people protesting in Malta??

these people never learn so let them live their own built misery because it seems that this is the way of life that they prefer!

PS: TO That fellow who took his malta flag.....Leave the maltese flag at home because no one asked you to represent the maltese' view!!!!!!

@Victoria Bugeja; The key sentence in your comment is: "HAMAS SHOULD STOP THE BOMBARDMENTS TOO". All else will follow.

@Justin Meli: Your comment: "....seem to keep evading the fact that israel has NO right to be there".. is blatantly racist, anti-semitic and can only be compared to Mr. Madman Ahmedinejad of Iran who is eager to see the state of Israel wiped out of the world map, wishfully by the nuclear bombs he is eager to build and be ready in a few years' time. I do not usually use harsh words towards other commentators, but this time I cannot refrain from crying out loud at you SHAME. Not even the Palestinians demonstrating in Valletta ever expressed a claim such as yours. Only Hamas and Hezbollah remain claiming this position because all Arab countries (Iran is not an Arab country please note) have accepted the state of Israel as a fact and as a right.

Hamas are terrorists. I cannot support them. Even though all kind of warfare is disgusting. But it's only obvious that if I throw a stone at Israel I'll see a bomb arriving my way. What amazes me in all this is that all the other Arab RICH countries could have united and helped Palestine seriously in all these years, but I don't see this. So isn't Palestine being used as some sort of guinea pig so as to leave the current situation the way it is?

Seeing these kind of demonstrations in all parts of the world instead of only in the Arab Countries is a sign of the times. Once I heard a Muslim FUNDAMENTALIST (the caps are intentional) saying that their main aim is of converting us infidels and take over.

Was that supposed to be a peaceful protest inOUR country ??? was it ?? what, by chanting their muslim usual like "Alla huwa akbar" , hey leave your chants to be practiced in your own country and please let us live in peace... Oh by the way, for anyone`s info........ some of the guys in that protest were not muslims at all but simply arabs who had sweet nothing to do all day [unemplyed....hmmmm.. yet living extremely well] and decided to join the march. Pajjiz tal mickey mouse Bully int John Bundy, qtajt ezatt

Farse act 2 !!!!

At least this time them aren't afraid to show their bias. They clearly state that it is a Pro-Palestinie/pro-Hamas protest. They don't hide under false petext of a peace demonstration!!!!

We live in the western world. we live in a democracy ... thus they have a right to express their opinion, irrespective of whether one agrees and disagrees with them !!!!

I wouldn't attend that demonstration such as I wouldn't attend ne pro-Isreal simplr becuase in the end of the day, it is my war. I, like other Maltese, irrespective of my personal opinion regarding the MIddel East saga, I would demonstrate for something which affect my daily life!!!!!

@ Fabien Sant Fournier
Please leave illegal immigration out of the picture, it is a totally different subject !!!! This wouldn't add anything on the subject. Rather, it would lead to another endless discussion on a different topic.

David Muscat, i could`nt have said it better myself......well done mate

Mr Sammut,do you believe everything you read ?
Mr. Muscat,would you feel the same if I banned you to Comino and took your home in the process?
J.Borg et al,do you object to free speech and peaceful protest?
Liam Kelly,you are being selective with what you watch.
Adrian Borg,it is those children's future what is at stake,and it is they who are being killed as well.
Mr Mifsud,I doubt that there can be peace untill a fair deal has been struck for the Palestinians

I just watched the video clip of the protest. Was that in Beirut? For sure it is Beirut........but then I focused on the buildings. This is Republic Street, the main street of the capital of Malta.. So now the city built by La Vallette to keep us free from the muslim scourge is now the Maltese central for orginised muslim protests shouting allah u akbar . Times have changed but Malta will find that the muslim creed remains the same. "If you are not a muslim you must become a muslim or they will kill you and your family". Hisbollah and hamas state this as part of their daily prayers. They also promise to fight on until Israel is wiped of the face of the earth and to kill all Jews on earth when they take over the world. I AM UPSET>>> YES>>>>The Maltese flag is for the MALTESE not for the muslim crowd. Shame on the police for not taking the flag away. This was not a peace protest. This was an anti ISRAEL protest. If you allow this again this will mean that Malta is pro hamas.

For a people to protest when an invader with the 5th largest army in the world and who count some 400 nuclear warheads in its's arsenal,who are starving the people of food,medicine,water,electricity and all the absolute essentials of daily living sounds perfectly legitimate to me. It would be criminal if people of good will did not protest,

If I had known this protest would take place I too,as a Maltese of good heart,would have joined them in Valletta.

Palestine is a special place for many religions and yet there has never been long peace in this part of the world. So , I think that this has nothing to do with religion. This eternal fight is all about power by those who do not even live there. Presently, Iran has been the worst offender with all the rockets it supplies to hisbollah and hamas. The palestinians have a right to protest but they cannot express their honest opinion because among every crowd of protestors there is a mufti and his cohorts who spy on their own. These are the bad ones who inflict the killings and suffering to their own kind. Hamas is killing Christian Palestinians as we speak , calling them Israeli spies. When hamas took over Gaza they killed over 200 PLO soldeirs and the Israelis had to go in and save many more. It is unlawful to be part of any protest or public meeting in Malta if you are not a Maltese citizen. So deport the law breakers.

P Debono, you said
"After all I've never seen anyone protest at the atrocities committed by Islamic terrorists on 9/11, in London, Spain, India and so on"
After the Madrid bombings there was a huge protest against the atrocities.....as there have been many other times against any forms of terrorism.
To 90% of the people who have commented here....
What's wrong with you? All over the world there have been huge protests against the actions of Israel....in London, Paris, Toronto, LA. So is Malta so special that we shouldn't allow it here. The amount of anti-Muslim comments are unbelievable and very sad. It infuriates me to know that so many of my fellow citizens are so prejudiced and have no sympathy for the hopeless situation the people in Gaza are in. Many innocent Palestinians are living, and dying, under a constant barrage of bombs and we are so heartless, and xenophobic, as to ridicule a peaceful sympathetic protest. Shame on you! And what's the big deal about them carrying the Maltese flag. Maybe the people holding the Maltese flag are proud, legal citizens of Malta who are showing their appreciation to this wonderful country.

@R.J.Costigan

how can you assume they're here illegally?

why the intolerance, because they're Muslim, not Catholic? I don't know whether to laugh or cry. why the arrogance? because they're protesting against a cause which is close to their hearts, not yours?

YOU might not be interested in their cause...but please don't speak in my name too by saying "WE are not interested..." This is their way of trying to solve their problems...whilst you tap away at your keyboard and drink coffee in your comfy chair, people are dying elsewhere, losing lives, homes and loved ones. they're trying their best to do something about it. this is a democratic country. different people live Malta, as they do in the rest of the world - muslims, catholics, blacks, whites... they have every right to fight for their cause.

@ M borg,

What's wrong about Muslims using the Maltese flag? can't Maltese people be Muslim? Can't Muslims be Maltese? oh and don't get me started about "our beloved city" Maltese men urinating at the old theater just shows how beloved it is.

What the deluded supporters and sympathisers of Hamas fail to notice is that Hamas is not fighting for Palestinians but it is another Islamic Terrorist Group.

Hamas is an acronym for Harkat Al-Mukawama Al-Islamiah--"ISLAMIC RESISTANCE MOVEMENT."

They are terrorists and coward who hide amongst women and children. Neither do they wear battle wear like soldiers in a war and hide their missiles in residential areas.

If people had any sense, they should be protesting against HAMAS.

Perhaps, the EU should rethink its 1 billion Euro in aid a year it gives the Palestinians from European Citizens taxpayers. Only then maybe, when they do not know where their next meal is coming from, would they start tilling their fields and making the desert bloom to feed their people. Only then maybe they will working to build rather than destroy.

The protesters would achieve at least a small degree of respect if they protested against all the rockets that the 'government' (if Hamas can be called that) that the Gazans voted for, fire against Israel. I believe the Gazans voted for Hamas in large numbers. As far as I am concerned they deserve all they get. My only hope is that Israel destroys Hamas as a result of this offensive. Sadly I fear that it will not happen now, or indeed until all Palestinian apologists, particularly in Europe, wake up and realise who the true initiators of violence are.

Most of you do not realise that Hamas is a terrorist organisation and most of them would not think twice to slaughter our families because of the lifestyle we have. They started firing rockets on innocent civilians in Israel and they had to be thaught a lesson, unluckily in war a portion of the victims are innocent children but we all know that Palestine can do much better without Hamas.

I agree totally with what David Muscat said. They had the chance to try and build a decent nation but failed, probably they started this war against Israel because they found out they lacked money to run their organisation and now it will flow in from other terrorist organisations tipo Al Qaeda and Hezbollah. Other Arab and non nations will surely contribute as well especially after showng us footage of dead children, money which most of it will not end up in the right hands.

Do you know what hurts me much much more than the fact that a Maltese Flag was used in this protest. That any person around the world can look on the Times of Malta and not see the video that is in the video the flag can be seen for a second, but sees the endless comments of Maltese people speaking in such a manner. In my opinion that gives worse name to Malta. The best statement I have seen is one that states "As far as I know.........." One very simple fact is that world wide Israel control the media.

One final fact that may shed some light on the situation:

Israel has violated more UN resolutions than Iraq, Iran and Palestine put together.

Between 1967 and 2000 Israel violated UN resolutions 138 times

Between 1967 and 2000 Iraq violated UN resolutions 69 times

Between 1967 and 2000 Iran violated UN resolutions 32 times

Between 1967 and 2000 Palestine violated UN resolutions 11 times



http://www.mediamonitors.net/michaelsladah&suleimaniajlouni1.html

I am maltese and i am ashamed of most of the comments written concerning this peaceful protest. We live in democracy and this muslim community had all the rights to do this peaceful protest, obviously they feel unhappy about the situation their palestinian brothers or families are living. What if we maltese were in their situation, i guess we would even do more than that
.
I think attention of important people should be brought over on this israeli- palestinian attacks. We should
STOP THE KILLING OF PALESTINIAN AND ISRAELI INNOCENTS and
ISRAEL SHOULD CALL BACK HER TROOPS, AND
HAMAS SHOULD STOP THE BOMBARDMENTS TOO.

Each person is there to love and respect the others around him, and in turn he must be respected and loved as well. Why is it so difficult?
Where has the concepts of PEACE and LOVE gone?

Hoping that one day Palestine would be granted a state, and that the civilians would be able to live a normal life,
WISHING THAT ALL THESE ATTACKS STOP.

May God protect these two nations and help the civilians pass through this difficult time

PEACE AND NO WAR

According to the Bible we are at the end times, now we wait till when all nations will turn against Israel because God has permitted so, but in the end God will not permit and will save them, then many Jews will turn to God and will accept Jesus Christ and they will go to every corner of the world to continue to Evangelise and then the temple of Solomon will be build again where the Anti-Christ will reign from there, these are all prophecies of the Holy Bible.

Please everyone read the Holy Bible is the manual book of your lives, God left us everything in it to every detail to what is going to happen also at the end of times, its all in there, will be a shame to miss it out !!!!

Not all arabs are muslim, not all muslims are palestinian, not all palestinians are illegal immigrants and they can none of them be generalised under terrrorism.

This is a democratic country and everyone has the right to peaceful protest, people need to go chill and grab a history book before commenting.

it is really funny how all of you posting against palestinians bla bla bla seem to keep evading the fact that israel has NO right to be there . that land is not israel it is PALESTINE. its more funny cause you people are the same commenting that illegal immigrants are invading our land .. well you should really understand more how palestine people feel , their land was stolen , they are locked in their land , they cant move in their land , they cant see relatives that arent in gaza and its their land... they where tortured for all those years and u people still defend the zionists? i say it again .. KEEP WATCHING YOUR FOX NEWS AND STAY BLIND after your western media.

D. Muscat. What country did the Palestinians have the chance to show they can run? The walled up ghettos they are forced to live in? The "country" in which they need to pass through several checkpoints to go to work, hospital etc? The "country" on which one sees Israeli settlements pop up every now?

What Hamas have done is despicable. Equally despicable is the over the top reaction we have seen from Israel. The cycle of violence will continue forever unless the source of the problem is tackled. The only solution is for two separate states to live side by side. Palestinians should be given back some of the land taken from them. A return to the pre-1967 borders would be the best compromise from both sides, with Jerusalem shared between the two countries.

There has to be a real commitment to peace and a commitment to serious progress too. The leadership on both sides have failed their people and the ordinary citizens now live in fear and grow up hating their neighbours.

Also Mr. Muscat, whether the Palestinians can run a country well or not is irrelevant of the fact that they have the right to their own country.

How about someone IN MALTA organize a protest march IN FAVOR OF ISRAEL, to offset the 2 protests in favor of Hamas, because that is exactly what these are protesting for, they are not protesting for the Palestinians, they are protesting in favor of the terrorist organization HAMAS.
Hamas and its supporters are getting exactly what they deserve from Israel, a good measure of their own medicine, because terror and violence are the only things HAMAS is capable of.
By the way, did these people protesting in favor of HAMAS have the necessary permits by the appropriate authorities to stage such a protest in Malta?
Long live the sovereign state of Israel.

Bill Millam
Los Angeles

1. Some say that Israel is the only democracy in the middle east. I have only one request for PM Olmert if he wants to prove this statement -- Push for Israel to become party to the Council of Europe Convention on Human Rights.

Or is Olmert afraid that Palestinians will sue Israel beyond bankruptcy in settlement for their murder, displacement, torture, illegal arrest and other serious HR violations?

2. Israel is justifying its military adventure in Palestine by citing self-defense. If Israel is really under threat (thus need for self-defense) why was Olmert smiling when present at a media conference addressing this issue?

The UN cannot deal with this war as it is an organization made by the interaction between states. Palestine is not a state.

Israel is killing hundreds of civilians mostly children one can see shocking footage of dead people in gaza on youtube.

Why is this shocking like some of you said, some of these Muslims are Maltese and they are part of the Maltese population and they are not immigrants!!!

And Malta during the past 40 years has supported the Palestinian cause and tried to do its utmost to solve this problem. It is our job to see that the Mediterranean basin is a place of peace.

They should not use our flag, how dare they.

@ David Muscat,

Israel pulled out from the gaza strip in 2005, but remained in control of the whole borders, that means the people in Gaza were imprisoned in there own land for 3 years. Food, fuel and medicine were denied in Gaza for 3 whole years. So how do you expect the people of Gaza to improve their land? and how do you expect them to remain passive while inflicting all this hardship.

Israeli attacks in Gaza ........ muslims protest against siege in gaza ........

All i have to say to these people.
with all my respect ta.....
SOLVE YOUR OWN PROBLEMS.... LIKE MALTA DID.... in the past against germany , italy , france ,turkey , and many others arabic countries.
we fight all these country for one reason ,, for our god sake freedom and peace.
thats why today we are AN INDEPENDENT COUNTRY.
NO ONE help us withe our great siege in 1965.
and malta know something about arabic country how they bomb this island and kill thousands of malthese people... and know what you expect help from us ????????
Only god knows when peace will be in your countries ...... if there will be one day !!!
GOD BLESS

What a shame!

You don't ever see a Muslims protesting when another Muslim does any act of terrorism. Only when the US or Israel does something. No word is heard from them when an islamic terrorist blows himself up amidst innocent civilians. No word is heard from them when an Islamic country arrests or kills people for converting to other religions. They accept ideas like "Israel should be wiped off the Earth". Or that it is right to kill what they call infidels. And the whole reason for their mentality (and the state of their societies/countries) is their religion.
And as regards to the Maltese people, apart from a left-wing anti-US minority, rest assured that the majority of people are well behind Israel in this case.

Maybe they should have
1-Not choose to break the ceasefire on CHRISTMAS DAY
2-Started firing rockets into Israel

I am all for peaceful demonstrations & democracy but as a Christian am aware that Islam is far from the "peaceful" religion it keeps spouting on about...The Koran offers little with confrontation and recognizes only those who are of that faith & is about confrontation and provocation,with turning the other cheek & loving thy neighbour alien to their ethos.

"surah 9:5 fight and slay the Pagans wherever ye find them, an seize them, beleaguer them, and lie in wait for them in every stratagem (of war); but if they repent, and establish regular prayers and practise regular charity, then open the way for them.

suah 8:12 says: "I will instill terror into the hearts of the Unbelievers: smite ye above their necks and smite all their finger-tips off them."

How can anyone side with a war of two evils. An eye for an eye and the world goes blind!

@Paul Galea. "Palestine" was created by the Romans some years after Jesus died...so no, Jesus was not born in "Palestine".

@ A Muscat. Israel never won a war? So how is it that is still EXISTS?

Why all this fuss about people - Muslim or otherwise - protesting? They've got every right to protest and be one-sided...it is media outlets and politicians who pretend to be taken seriously who should be balanced and present the whole picture....

According to the Bible we are at the end times, now we wait till when all nations will turn against Israel because God has permitted so, but in the end God will not permit and will save them, then many Jews will turn to God and will accept Jesus Christ and they will go to every corner of the world to continue to Evangelise and then the temple of Solomon will be build again where the Anti-Christ will reign from there, these are all prophecies of the Holy Bible.

Please everyone read the Holy Bible is the manual book of your lives, God left us everything in it to every detail to what is going to happen also at the end of times, its all in there, will be a shame to miss it out !!!!

There are protests taking place in all capital cities in the world. Our capital city deserves no less. A capital city is, in fact, a stage towards the higher domain-the world. If you want to deliver a message you dont go to Iklin, you go to Valletta. The fact that these people chose to protest in Valletta for a cause elsewhere proves the fact that Malta is not a backwater country anymore. We are a country in the world, and whatever the issue, be it global warming, or the Gaza siege, we are in the middle of it.

What should worry us is the sorry situation that noone noticed the symbolism behind the imagery: The image of the police -our police- standing guard with a group of foreigners who chose to exercise their right and speak against something happening elsewhere speaks volumes about the power and maturity of our democracy. We might not agree with what they proclaim, but we stand by them in their right to do so. If the Jewish Community had to organize a counter protest in Malta, we should expect no different from our police.

Images like those ought to make us proud of being Maltese.

The Flag of Malta and the Islamic suicide bomber's famous last words DON'T MIX!!

Why has the arab world abandoned the palestinian people for such a long time only to support them once every so often when it suits them eg this evening's protest?
Why did Hamas break the ceasefire and hid weapons in private homes? Maybe to cause maximum casualties?!
Why did Hamas bring about the fall of the only Palestinian government that actually tried to bring about meaningful peace through discussion around a table?
It's easy to talk about peace, but peace only comes through sacrifice on both sides. Mahatma Gandhi gave the biggest example of all when it comes to bringing meaningful change. Hamas are obviously not interested in peace and what they are doing is suicidal for the Palestinian people.

Suppose I use a Palestinian flag to support Israel. So why are the Palestinians in
Malta waving a Maltese flag to support Hamas? Is it a case of biting the hand that feeds you?

People seem to forget that the war that Israel started is against Hamas and not the Palestine people.
And Hamas is a terrorist organization - that is against the western world, that including us I guess.. so who ever denies Israel moves is speaking in favor of terrorism ideologies.

@ Paul Galea

u forgot something important there.."Don’t forget that Jesus was born in Palestine. Grew up and LIVED with these peoples."...these are the people who crucified him as well cos they were afraid of him..

Why not , let them protest , at least they didnt degrade any nation like what happened last week, what I oppose is them carrying the Maltese flag, our own national identity was used by muslims to protest against Israel.They should have been stopped, not from protesting that is thier right safegyarded by the constitution but carrying our flag is a crime.

Above law?
What are the borders of Israel state??
How many UN and Security Council resolutions were issued against Israel, and how many of these resolutions did Israel abide with?

I am not in a hurry for an answer. Good night to all

Let me explain for the Muslims.

This is all about the holy land, they think it is theirs and they are wrong.
Owners of the holy land from beginning to end : Jews, Persians(before Islam), Pagans, Christians, Muslims, Christians, Islam, Secular and now Jews again.
Therefore there is no point in claiming historical rights as it has always belonged to the Jews before Islam was even thought of.

The Reason they Hate UN is because the UN allowed Palestine to be partitioned into two states with the Greater Jerusalem under International control. Something which the Muslims rejected. This was supposed to make both sides peaceful, instead it turned the factions against each other, the Muslims attacked first after Israel declared its independence.

The UN are Blind, Deaf and Dumb, because they were blind to see that partitioning Palestine into 2 states was never going to bring Peace. Deaf, because before they partitioned the nation they didn't listen to Muslims and Dumb , well I imagine, because now they're saying nothing or maybe it was word play.

BTW There is no right side.

@ Paul Galea
and they crucified him.

@ V. Zammit
"They will never be safe, so the Holy Bible says."
Do you realise that the main reason the jews mention for occupying Palestine is that it was promised to them by God in the Bible.

Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005. It hasn't been occupied since. Palestinians had the chance to prove to the world that they could be trusted with running a country , but instead of they chose to use the land to launch attacks into Israel. Instead of concentrating on building a better future for their citizens they chose to confront Israel. Hamas failed their people and their people failed themselves by electing Hamas.

There is no wrong when people protest, it is the very idea of democracy. Let them protest, perhaps they can teach their brethren back home how democracy works. Afterall it was peacefull. As for the war, it is shamefull that Israel-that has a right to exist, uses force not in proportion to what it hassuffered. Rockets fired by Hamas.- who are doing a great disserrvice to the Palestinian cause,- are rudimental, like a modern murtal whilst Israel is invading and killing kids like all wars do. Palestinians have been suffering since 1948, when their land was taken away, and their families exiled to the four corners of the world, like the jews were. How can Israel inflict sufferings which they themselves have endured? There is only one solution peace and justice to everyone. Israel has a right to exist and to be defended from undemocratic Arab regemes, but Palestinians must be given a state and rights like us. There will be no peace if this is not implimented.

Editor of timesofmalta.com....

Please tell me that this is not real, that this is a film....

Horrible..hekk jonqos issa

I am really preoccupied. Should a group of 200 jewish gather at our beloved Capital City Valletta, and hold a protest against the Hamas, and use the Maltese flag, as these Muslims wrongfully did, what will the reaction of the Muslim community in Malta be??!!!

Qum Ja Malta u Qumu Maltin minn dik ir-raqda!!!

We re in a precarious situation!!! Can the Commissioner of Police tell us whether there were any permits issued for today's protest??

How many of these 'muslim' protesters have permits

to live in Malta? How many of these are 'illegal migrants'.

Have the Police checked for the necessary permit? I hope

that the police attending this protest will be paid from these

muslims. This is the second protest, so please messrs. muslims

we are not interested in this kind of protest. Solve your problems

yourselves.

@John Borg - good one!

I don't think it was appropriate for those people to carry Maltese flags, as that would somehow imply that Malta officially sides with the Palestinians.

And now I'm addressing Jews who are reading this : Why don't you hold a protest against the actions of Hamas during these past years?

Although Israel has the fourth nuclear arsenal power coupled with the USA unlimited supports , still they will never win a war over Palestinians. The latter have both RIGHT AND WILL. History proved that when peoples have the determination, they will never be defeated!

If I knew about this protest, I would have been there. Occupation is wrong. An army killing civilians is a state-sponsered terrorism. FULL STOP

Settle down Yael, we're not in Palestine...oh i mean Israel now; you cant gag peoples voice, I'm afraid.

@ Liam Kelly

I was tempted to stop reading your comment at "The country with the worst human rights record..." I could name you dozens of countries with worse human rights record than Israel. That's not to justify violence, but what I was referring to was the lack of a call for world peace as opposed to "their people" and "their world".

After all I've never seen anyone protest at the atrocities committed by Islamic terrorists on 9/11, in London, Spain, India and so on. Rest assured that if there were any protests, they would quickly be cut off as "racist" and "xenophobic".

And yes ... by which means do they use our nation's flag??? This was a real farce. Do they think that the Maltese population are behind them?

Through using our flag they were representing each single one of us as Maltese citizens. They should not have been left to do such an act.

I am a Canadian-Maltese living here in Canada. We just recently had our own protest here, in one of the city squares. I proudly joined in it because i think what the Israeli's are doing to the Palestinian people is absolutely terrible. I believe Israel, in terms of cutting off Gaza to the outside world, is morally unjust and unreasonable. You have people dying on the streets and the Israeli's will not let any humanitarian aid through! And as for the protests on Maltese soil, Canada has nothing to do with it but we have a large arabic population here too, as in Malta, and they should be able to voice their opinion even if they are not on their home soil! And as long as its peaceful, so what? Let them have their protest, they aren't bothering anybody.

It is so NOT noble to use children ... to picture innocence ... especially taking account who started everything etc.

Also, I recommend we start taking their example anyway! Next time someone has to fill up his time and set up a protest, he should organize it in Norway or China, so that we waste the policemen's time over there not here ...

quite ironic how Maltese object to illegal migration locally, yet condone Israeli settlements & military on Palestinian land

Where were they when the Sudan Military and the Janjaweed were massacring 500,000 not 500 people in Darfur ? Oh the victims weren't Arabs. The Arab Abbala tribes were carrying out the massacre. Double standards anyone??

Blind , deaf and dumb, yes. But not the UN.... They, are deaf to reason and incapable of speaking like civilized human beings! Shame on them and shame on the Maltese authorities for allowing this tasteless spectacle, especially leaving the terrorist apologists carry a Maltese flag!

How dare these people organize a protest against war instead of adopting the Maltese tradition of protesting only against higher electricity rates?

NO Occupation = No war
Occupation = Wars
Israel, or more specifically the Zionists are more like an army with a warmonger-lust, equipped with killing machine looking for land. They were given the right (by the UK) to settled on the Palestinian people’s land. Actually the more days goes by, the masks are falling and revealing the un-civilian faces.
They will never be safe, so the Holy Bible says.

@ Paul Debono

Surely the real double standards here are how a country with the worst human rights record, killed the most unarmed women and children as well as broke the most UN resolutions can walk into another Country whenever it likes and slaughter as many people as it likes with absolutly no action being taken from the 'west'; who likes to portray themselves as beakons of progress 'democracy'; oh and can you remind me what the responce was to an American, Israeli and British backed democratic election in Palestine? Oh yes thats right; since it wasnt the puppet they wanted they have ignored it....yea, thats democratic!

@Johann Mifsud
"mur fpajjizhom dawn in nies u protesta bhal ma qed jaghmlu huma fpajjizna!!"

They are protesting because their land is occupied, everything under stict control, how do you expect they will protest in Palestine???

"Kif spicca dal pajjiz"

What's wrong with a peacful protest? Yes we have a democracy here and we can protest as long as we break the law. What do you want, a dictatorship?

Exactly M Tonna, Malta has no involvement in the Palestinian-Israel conflict so why then are these people demonstrating on Maltese soil and what are the police doing about it?

Stop Using and hiding behind women and children. Shall we now protest against the Muslims who make life hell for Christians and other religious minorities in Bethlehem, Indonisia, Saudi Arabia etc? We will not be a paltry 200, but hundreds of thousands. So Stop abusing of our democracy. This protest is the usual well orchestrated bing.
Go protest against the Arab Dictators in your Arab countries if you dare... you would soon find yourself tortured in your Muslim jails.

S'funny that the Muslims NEVER protest when it is the Muslims committing the violence in the first place! I wonder what would be the reaction if the Jews in Malta held a protest over the actions of Hamas.

A great example of double standards from our Arab friends.

As far as I know, it is Hamas who is at fault as much as the Israeli forces. And I wonder whether they know that "their people" were the ones behind the myriad of terrorist attacks on peaceful nations.

I condemn any form of violence, whether by Arabs, Hindus, Catholics or anyone. So instead of preaching about "our people" and "freedom for Palestine", a more appropriate message would have been one for WORLD peace, i.e. peace EVERYWHERE, not just in Palestine.

We aren’t talking about illegal immigrants. No need to add fuel to already distortions situation. Please.
We are here sipping coffees behind our computers screens and a man-slaughter is taking place in Gaza.

Any racial or Islam phobia comments are inhuman and undesired.
Don’t forget that Jesus was born in Palestine. Grew up and LIVED with these peoples.

I can't understand why the government of Malta always seems to be on the Palestinian side whenever there's a conflict in the middle east. I can't understand why this current conflict arose in the first place. But knowing Palestine is currently governed by the terrorist group Hamas it is of no surprise. I support Israel fully in this conflict and so should Malta and the E.U. Nobody can fire rockets into a foreign territory... simply because there are problems between the two states. The government of Palestine knew this would eventually happen!! But they didn't care less... of their own people... they resorted to firing rockets...after all its a terrorist regime.

You should no especially those in support of Hamas... that since Hamas took government in Gaza the city went in a downfall... the economy stalled... lack of jobs and infrastructural development is evident throughout the city!

The people i support are the people of Sderot, Israel who have been victims of terror for the past 7 years but even the victims of terror in Gaza, the people who support Fatah (some of which were tortured and killed by the Hamas government).

This is a shocking situation.

It is worrying me a lot. We have nothing to do with the siege between Israel and Gaza and the Maltese flag in the middle of the protest only implies that we have taken a side with the palestinians. I hope they will not let us into trouble. Both Israel and Gaza can sit around a table and discuss but please we have nothing to do with both of you!!

This is a shocking situation.

It is worrying me a lot. We have nothing to do with the siege between Israel and Gaza and the Maltese flag in the middle of the protest only implies that we have taken a side with the palestinians. I hope they will not let us into trouble. Both Israel and Gaza can sit around a table and discuss but please we have nothing to do with both of you!!

Did they have a Police permit, or was it another illegal assembly ??

To both sides of the conflict: Love + Love = Love // violence + violence returns more violence.

mur fpajjizhom dawn in nies u protesta bhal ma qed jaghmlu huma fpajjizna!!

Kif spicca dal pajjiz.

My message to world politicians;, 'envoys' and such like.... Hang your heads in shame. End of story.

in reply to the kids holding those posters:

because your parents use you as shields and keep you in harm's way

When these Hamas a few years ago attacked the Palestine section of
Al Fatah, where were these muslims? They haven't showed signs
of any protests. So you have protested so that the Hamas remain shooting
the Katusha missiles on ISRAEL?

If I have to protest, I protest against the Hamas.

LONG LIVE ISRAEL

Have these Muslims forgot that both isreal and Gaza were in relative peace until Hamas INITIATED the officensive against israel with rockets againsta civilians?

I think I know which direction should the "Stop the agression" posters be pointed at!