MALAYSIA has pursued a long-standing policy of not recognising the state of Israel because it believes the establishment of the Jewish state is illegal.
Nobody can dispute Malaysia’s consistent stand on this issue. In fact, the turmoil in the Middle East arising from the war in Gaza reinforces the conviction that Israel has no right to exist as a nation given its military assault on the innocent Palestinian people.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is very outspoken when making the case against the Jewish state in his vehement support for an independent Palestinian state.
As long as the state of Israel exists, one can expect unremitting tirade from the premier until such time when Israel is no longer on the world map.
But it is unlikely that the Jewish nation will disappear any time soon given that it has the unstinted backing of the US. The US is Israel’s major ally and seen through the lens of Washington is that any attack on its ally – verbal or military – is considered an assault on America.
So when PMX reportedly said that Malaysia would hunt down and deport any Israeli citizens found in the country, it provoked the ire of many US lawmakers.
Zionist influence on US
The mainly House Democrats gave Putrajaya 15 days to change what they regarded its “anti-Semitic” policy or face consequences in the form of suspension of American aid and a review of economic ties.
The sudden strong reaction from the lawmakers arose from the Network School saga where it was alleged that Israeli nationals had participated in the programme of the tech commune in Forest City located in Johor Baru.
Following this disclosure, the premier came out with his “hunt down and deport” remarks. It is PMX’s prerogative as Prime Minister to state Malaysia’s stance since we do not have diplomatic relations with Israel.
While it is understandable that PMX has no choice but to adopt an aggressive posture on the world stage when it comes to dealing with the Jewish nation, no nation in the world of realpolitik can ignore the close links forged between Washington and Tel Aviv.
How then can Malaysia response to the American lawmakers’ ultimatum? Do we scream at them that we are an independent and sovereign nation and no one can dictate our foreign policy?
Do we treat all Israeli nationals as enemies of Malaysians? Or is our enmity and hostility is mainly targetted at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu?
Do we organise a massive rally to reaffirm our support for the Palestinian cause? Do we tell US President Donald Trump to go fly kite and stop interfering in our affairs?
The issue is tricky and risky. On the one hand, we cannot antagonise our American trading partner considering the fact that bilateral trade has hit about RM137 bil in the first four months of 2026.
On the other, PMX will endanger his political career if he appears soft on this contentious Israeli question. There’s no way he can back down and change his stance to suit the whims and fancies of US lawmakers.
If no side will give away an inch, a stalemate appears to be in the making. It will take all of PMX’s diplomatic skill to navigate these treacherous political waters without any adverse consequences.
Malaysia has 15 days to come up with an answer. And the answer will determine the next course of bilateral relationship – for better or worse. – July 23, 2026
Phlip Rodrigues is a retired journalist.
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia.
