In the midst of popular outrage over this week’s fatal attack on southern Israel, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim stated on Monday( Oct 16) that Malaysia does not concur with American pressure to denounce Palestinian militant group Hamas.
Anwar said without providing any specifics that Western and European nations have constantly asked Malaysia to denounce Hamas in meetings.
Anwar told congress,” I said that we have a relationship with Hamas that has existed in the past and may continue to do so.”
Since Hamas also won in Gaza easily through elections and Gazans chose them to lead, we don’t believe with their pressuring approach.
A two-state solution to the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians has long been favored by Malaysia, which has a majority of Muslims. It has no political ties to Israel.
In the past, prominent Hamas leaders frequently traveled to Malaysia and interacted with its leadership. Najib Razak, a former prime minister of Malaysia, defied Israel’s siege of Gaza in 2013 by entering the Arab enclave at Hamas’ invitation.