Mahathir’s Malaysia bans all Israeli nationals from events it hosts
(South China Morning Post) – Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad’s government on Wednesday defended its hardline anti-Israel stance as it declared it would not budge on banning Israeli athletes from an upcoming Paralympics swimming qualifier despite facing criticism for that stance.
Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah, met in his ministry by local groups lobbying for the Israeli athletes’ ban, said the government would refrain from hosting events featuring Israeli participants in the future.
The minister said the decision – made by cabinet last week – was premised upon “humanitarian reasons” and was about “fighting on behalf of the oppressed”.
Media reports this week had quoted the International Paralympic Committee criticising the Southeast Asian country’s strict stance on not admitting Israeli athletes, though the organisation said it was holding out hope for a solution.
- Kuala Lumpur has never established formal diplomatic ties with Israel, and the Prime Minister has long been a fierce critic of the country
- The ban includes July’s World Para Swimming Championships, a move criticised by the International Paralympic Committee