KUALA LUMPUR, May 15 — Malaysia’s determination to speak out on issues related to Palestine, by urging the United States (US) to be honest in resolving the atrocities committed by the Israeli regime against the Palestinian people, is proof of the country’s firm and consistent stance on the matter.
Current issue analysts are of the view that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s action in voicing Malaysia’s firm stand on the Ukraine-Russia conflict, as well as issues involving Palestine, Myanmar and the South China Sea during the ASEAN-US Special Summit chaired by President Joe Biden in Washington DC recently, was the right move.
Universiti Selangor International Relations lecturer, Ismail Hashim said the Palestinian-Israeli conflict had been dragging on for a long time and needed to be addressed by the world, especially the US, which needed to use its influence to resolve the issue.
He said the world needed to open its eyes to what is happening to the Palestinians and take necessary actions, adding that Malaysia should take the lead in this matter.
“If the US does not want to take (action) Malaysia can take the lead. Islamic countries must be strict if the US does not want to act,” he said, referring to the Prime Minister’s statement urging the US to be honest and transparent in dealing with the Israeli-Palestinian issue.
Malaysia also condemns the aggression and attacks imposed by the Israeli regime and illegal Jewish immigrants on Palestinians such as during the recent incident that occurred at the Al-Aqsa Mosque, Jerusalem.
He said Malaysia was more advanced in terms of taking action regarding the issue as it has been defending the rights of the Palestinian people for a long time.
“I went to Gaza in 2014 under the Aman Palestin aid mission… The Palestinians in Gaza have their respects for our Prime Minister (Malaysia),” he said when contacted by Bernama.
Meanwhile, Malaysian Consultative Council of Islamic Organisation (MAPIM) president Mohd Azmi Abdul Hamid was of the view that the Prime Minister’s request to the US was fair as only the US could influence Israel or take measures that would force Israel to consider its actions.
Therefore, he said Malaysia should continue the efforts to influence countries in the region to protest against the violence perpetrated against the Palestinians.
“In my opinion, Malaysia should not just voice (this issue) in Washington only, it must also find a way to influence as many other countries as possible to create a bigger, stronger voice and say things firmly,” he said.
According to him, apart from Brunei and Indonesia, Malaysia also needs to seek support from the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand for a consensus as these countries are Malaysia’s close allies to pressure the US to use its influence on Israel to resolve the conflict.
