France yesterday made the first invocation of a clause in the Lisbon Treaty, calling on EU member states to support military action against Islamic State, following the attacks in Paris over the weekend.

The government of Malta issued a statement, saying that if it is requested to offer specific support, it will answer that call, in accordance with the Treaty of Lisbon and the Constitution of Malta. In that same statement, the government said that the Attorney General had advised that the fact that a member state asked for help does not mean that any action taken might breach the neutrality clause, as protected by the Constitution.

So, what does that mean exactly? The government could be hinting at the fact that it would be ready to offer France logistical support, including, for example, supplies or medicines or other such items. It could also mean that the government might be ready to support France politically, but not militarily.

It could also mean that the fact that this is a terror organisation, and not a nation heading for conventional war, means that any assistance of any form or kind might be given to France if it is requested.

It could mean a combination of the above, or it could also mean none of the above. We will soon know. Prime Minister Joseph Muscat has a good rapport with French President Francois Hollande, as was evident during the Valletta migration summit. There is no doubt that there will be a diplomatic exchange between the two in the near future and we will know what is being asked of us, and how we will be assisting, if at all.

The truth is that the attacks in Paris were not an attack on France. They were an attack on each and every person in Europe. It was an attack on our way on life, designed to terrify each and every one of us. The attack was designed to change the way democracy operates, to change the way the state monitors people, to try and stoke fears, xenophobia and racism.

Paris was a soft target. Each and every city in Europe, whether in the UK, France, Germany or Malta, for that matter is a soft target. We are all in reach. The way this group operates is like none other before it. There are no direct orders from the leadership in Raqqa. Terrorists are trained in camps and then sent in to Europe to act on their own steam in localised cells to commit their despicable acts. This is not a case of neutrality in a war against a particular state, this is a case of fighting back against an enemy that is common to all, an enemy to East and an enemy to West. It is also the enemy of Muslims, Christians and non believers. Daesh is just a band of thugs preying on easily brainwashed young men. Many have perceived France’s actions to indicate that war has been declared. The truth is that war was declared a long time ago. It has been simmering under the surface for decades and has now finally come topside in all its gruesome repugnance.