The latest conflict between Israel and Lebanon has exposed a bias against Israel, which has been encouraged by some elements within Maltese society, Alleanza Nazzjonali Repubblikana president Philip Beattie said yesterday.

Speaking at a press conference, Mr Beattie said that there has been a campaign to “exploit” peace by movements such as Moviment Graffitti and Alternattiva Demokratika.

Mr Beattie said that there is a huge difference between peace and pacifism and that Israel has the undeniable right to exist as a sovereign state.

The ANR president said that the irony is that Israel is the only democratic state in the whole Middle East, where other nations are totalitarian states.

Answering questions, Mr Beattie said that Israel had acted within its rights of self-defence and it was Hezbollah who had provoked the conflict through their indiscriminate launch of missiles into civilian territory.

He said that the casualty figures were much higher on the Lebanese side due to terrorists infiltrating urban areas, thus making Israel strike at these centres and unfortunately killing innocent civilians.

Answering a question by The Malta Independent on the strength of the United Nations, Mr Beattie said that this had many times been exposed as a toothless organisation.

Yet, he added, unfortunately it was the only tool that the international community had to resolve such international conflicts.