Blantyre, Malawi –8th April 2025
The Malawi Palestine Solidarity Movement (MPSM) strongly condemns the visit of Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel to Malawi and her remarks at the Global Leadership Summit in Lilongwe. Her visit, aimed at strengthening bilateral ties, comes at a time when Israel is escalating its genocidal assault on Gaza.
Haskel praised Malawi’s “bravery” in maintaining ties with Israel and opening an embassy in Tel Aviv in April 2024, despite Israel’s ongoing war crimes. MPSM rejects this characterization—there is nothing brave about endorsing an apartheid regime. The Chakwera administration’s unwavering diplomatic support for Israel at the United Nations is a stain on Malawi’s moral standing and a betrayal of its commitment to human rights.
Her visit coincides with a surge in Israeli attacks on Gaza following the collapse of a fragile ceasefire on March 18, 2025. Reports from the ground depict gruesome atrocities: decapitated babies, civilians obliterated by airstrikes, and journalists burned alive in their tents. This is not war—it is a massacre, systematically carried out with impunity.
Haskel further claimed that Israel’s conflict is not about territorial occupation but rather a “clash of values, culture, and religion.” This is a deliberate distortion of history. For centuries, Jews, Muslims, and Christians coexisted peacefully in Palestine. Israel’s project is not about coexistence but about ethnic cleansing—removing the native Palestinian population to establish a Jewish-majority state through massacres, forced displacement, and genocide.
The Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister also suggested that Malawi and Israel must “unite” against these so-called cultural threats. MPSM asks: What exactly is Haskel trying to ignite within Malawi? Malawi has long been a nation of religious and cultural harmony. We reject the divisive rhetoric of a regime notorious for anti-Muslim and anti-Arab propaganda, known as “Hasbara.” Too many nations, including those close to home like Congo and Sudan, have suffered from foreign-instigated divisions that led to chaos and exploitation. We will not allow Malawi to be next.
For 76 years, Israel has violated international law with impunity. The past 18 months of atrocities in Gaza have only reinforced its status as a belligerent occupier and aggressor. MPSM stands firm: we will not be bought, silenced, or manipulated. We will continue to hold both Israel and the Malawi government accountable for their complicity in oppression and injustice.
Media Contact:
Comrade Asaboni Phiri
mpsm.mwi@gmail.com
+265 990 081 585
Malawi Palestine Solidarity Movement (MPSM)
