US tried to pressure Malaysia on Palestine-Israel conflict, says Anwar

KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has revealed that the United States attempted to exert pressure on Malaysia regarding its stance on the Palestine-Israel conflict. An American authority called the Malaysian envoy to the United States to question Malaysia’s position on the conflict, particularly Israel’s violence against Gaza. Anwar stated that Malaysia’s ambassador firmly reiterated the country’s stance.

This pressure from the United States stemmed from Malaysia’s refusal to condemn Hamas’ actions and label them as terrorists. The Foreign Ministry informed Anwar that Malaysia received two demarches from the US Embassy on October 13 and October 30. These demarches requested Malaysia to use diplomatic channels to discourage a certain country, believed to be Iran, from involving itself in the Gaza conflict through a proxy.

During the Dewan Rakyat’s Prime Minister’s Question Time on Tuesday (Oct 31), Anwar emphasized Malaysia’s independent stance, stating that the country will remain steadfast in its humanitarian considerations and condemn Israel’s unlawful occupation of Palestine. He noted that the conflict has been ongoing since 1948 and criticized the United States for not condemning Israel’s actions despite its prolonged occupation.

Anwar highlighted the discrepancy in condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine while disregarding the Israeli occupation of Palestine. He pointed out that this issue has been ongoing for many years. At the Malaysia for Palestine Rally last week, Anwar mentioned that Malaysia faced criticism from pro-Israel countries, particularly the United States, for showing solidarity with Gaza and the Palestinians.

In response to Hamas launching a surprise attack on October 7, Israel retaliated with airstrikes and military operations. The ongoing conflict has resulted in a death toll of at least 8,306 Palestinians in Israel’s attacks on Gaza, while the death toll in Israel has exceeded 1,400.