US criticism of Malaysia’s Israel stance spotlights growing ‘disconnect’

US criticism of Malaysia’s entry ban on Israeli nationals is unlikely to force a major shift in the country’s foreign policy, analysts have said, after Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim rejected accusations that the move was antisemitic. The remarks escalated a dispute that has drawn in members of the US Congress, Malaysia’s long-standing refusal to recognise Israel and the widening international debate over where criticism of Israel ends and hostility towards Jewish people begins. “We are not insulting the Jews. We are against what Israel is doing,” Anwar told reporters on Friday. “We are being labelled as if we are against a certain group. We are only against countries that oppress others.” Anwar said Malaysia’s policy on Israel was well received by Malaysians but not by US lawmakers. “We are a sovereign and independent country. We will not compromise nor allow a single Israeli to set foot in Malaysia,” he said. The dispute emerged after eight US Congress members called for Washington to review its security and economic ties with Malaysia following Anwar’s comments on deporting Israeli nationals. They also accused Anwar’s government of maintaining open ties with Hamas, the Palestinian militant group designated by Washington as a foreign terrorist organisation, claiming its fighters had trained on Malaysian soil. Anwar dismissed the allegations as baseless, saying he had never concealed his meetings with Hamas leaders but that they were held to express sympathy for families affected by bombings and killings. The incident was triggered after the Network School, a “digital nomad” community founded in Malaysia’s Forest City by US investor Balaji Srinivasan, came under fire when social media users claimed participants included Israelis. While investigations showed that all participants had valid travel documents, the school was shut down last Tuesday. Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan said last Thursday that Malaysia’s immigration policies did not recognise Israel – a long-standing position that he noted was also communicated by Ambassador Muhammad Shahrul Ikram Yaakob to Washington. “There was an individual with dual citizenship, the US and Israel, who entered Malaysia using his US passport. However, subsequent checks revealed that he also held Israeli citizenship, and we asked him to leave,” Hasan was quoted by Bernama as saying. Growing disconnect Analysts said the episode highlighted a widening gap between Washington’s expectations of its partners and the increasingly independent foreign policies adopted by middle powers such as Malaysia. “It shows a certain disconnect in how some in Washington still approach countries like Malaysia,” Andrea Passeri, a senior lecturer in international relations at Taylor’s University in Selangor, told This Week in Asia. Passeri said the criticism appeared to be political signalling shaped by US domestic politics, especially Washington’s long-standing support for Israel, which had become increasingly divisive after the conflict in Gaza and, more recently, the Iran war. Malaysia had long framed its position as opposition to Israel’s policies and support for Palestinians, not hostility towards Jewish people, but Passeri said the distinction was becoming harder to communicate diplomatically. “Gaza, Israel, antisemitism and pro-Palestinian politics have become much more polarised and closely scrutinised issues internationally, especially in the US,” he said. “That logic is much less effective in today’s more multipolar environment, especially with countries that define their diplomacy around non-alignment and strategic autonomy.” Experts note that Malaysia has maintained it is critical only of the Israeli regime and not of Jews from other countries. Azmi Hassan, a senior fellow at the Nusantara Academy for Strategic Research, said the members of Congress viewed Malaysia’s position as antisemitic and that the dispute could have broader implications for the country. He pointed out that Malaysia had allowed Israelis on its soil in the past despite the lack of diplomatic ties, citing the 1997 International Cricket Council Trophy in Kuala Lumpur that involved the Israeli cricket team. Then prime minister Mahathir Mohamad allowed a special visa for the team to compete in Malaysia. “The members of Congress misunderstood what Malaysia’s stance is because there are Jews from other countries in Malaysia but not Israeli citizens because we do not have any diplomatic ties with them,” Azmi said. For Passeri, the distinction made sense from a Malaysian perspective even as it remained vulnerable to criticism abroad. “For Anwar, the challenge is to keep Malaysia’s position clearly anchored in opposition to Israeli state policy, rather than allowing it to be framed as hostility towards Jewish people,” he said.

US criticism of Malaysia’s Israel stance spotlights growing ‘disconnect’

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Claims that Malaysia’s ban on Israelis entering the country are antisemitic are unlikely to trigger a major policy shift, analysts say

Claims that Malaysia’s ban on Israelis entering the country are antisemitic are unlikely to trigger a major policy shift, analysts say