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PRIME MINISTER Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has defended Malaysia’s longstanding position against Israel’s actions, insisting that the country’s stance should not be interpreted as hostility towards Jewish people.
Anwar said claims by eight United States lawmakers suggesting that Malaysia was adopting an anti-Jewish position were inaccurate and did not reflect the basis of the country’s foreign policy.
“We have made our decision, and we will not shift because this is not about insulting Jews, but about opposing the cruelty, oppression and occupation by Israel.
“That is what we need to clarify. They raised it as if we are anti-race (Jewish). We are not against any race; we are against a country that commits oppression,” he told reporters after attending the Semarak Kenegaraan Programme at the Army Basic Training Centre (PUSASDA) in Port Dickson today.
Anwar was responding to reports that eight US Congress members had written to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressing concern over his call for Israeli citizens in Malaysia to be removed immediately.
The lawmakers urged the US government to take action, alleging that Anwar’s remarks could be viewed as antisemitic.
Anwar, however, maintained that Malaysia would continue enforcing restrictions on the entry of Israeli citizens, saying the country’s position as an independent and sovereign nation was not a new policy but one that had been maintained for decades.
Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said Malaysia had formally conveyed its position to the US government, reiterating that the country has never recognised Israel as a state.
He said Malaysia’s Ambassador to Washington, Tan Sri Muhammad Shahrul Ikram Yaakob, had been summoned by the US State Department to explain Malaysia’s policy and clarify that the position was longstanding rather than a recent development. - July 24, 2026
