KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 29 — Datuk Ibrahim Ali has asked the government to clarify Malaysia’s stand on Israel and whether it endorsed efforts to protect the security of the Jewish state.
Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said yesterday the “two-state solution” he supported between Israel and Palestine was part of a resolution recognised and adopted by both Malaysia and the United Nations (UN).
The PKR de facto leader claimed that Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman had mentioned it in his speech at last year’s UN general assembly.
“I want clarification on the matter ... I will raise the matter in Parliament in March,” said Ibrahim.
“Anwar is twisting (Anifah’s) statement, that is what I believe ... we never supported such a thing,” the Pasir Mas MP added, before launching a verbal attack on Anwar.
Ibrahim charged that Anwar was no longer “politically relevant”, and that Malaysians need to move beyond Anwar and think about their “future.”
Anwar came under fire from Umno and its media after an interview with the Wall Street Journal on Thursday, in which he expressed support for “all efforts to protect the security of the state of Israel.”
But the international business daily said Anwar stopped short of saying he would open diplomatic ties with the Jewish state, a step the former deputy prime minister said remains contingent on Israel respecting the aspirations of Palestinians.
“I stressed that the needs and rights of the Palestinian people must be guarded and that includes the right to their own country and to not be victimised. I also stated that if this is met then Israel’s rights should also be respected,” he said in a statement yesterday.
The opposition leader stressed that Malaysia’s acceptance of Israel’s claims hinged on whether the rights of the Palestinians are upheld.
Muslim-majority Malaysia is a staunch supporter of Palestine and has no diplomatic ties with Israel.
Muslim politicians have long vied for support from Malays by denouncing what they say is inhumane acts of aggression by Israel towards its neighbour.
Anwar has previously been attacked as a supporter of the Zionist movement due to his interaction with prominent Jewish figures in the West.
But the opposition leader turned the tables on Umno and Barisan Nasional in 2010 when he claimed public relations firm APCO Worldwide, then contracted by Putrajaya, was responsible for both the 1 Malaysia and 1 Israel campaigns.
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