24 April, 2006
Malaysia will not consider establishing diplomatic ties with Israel until the Jewish state changes its policies toward the Palestinians, according to a spokesman of the Southeast Asian country's Foreign Ministry. "Tel Aviv has yet to fulfill certain conditions," Therefore there is no reason why Malaysia should review its current stand," a deputy minister was quoted as saying by the Malaysian news agency "Bernama". Ahmad Shabery, speaking in Parliament's lower house, reiterated Malaysia's desire to see Israel resolve its conflict with the Palestinians peacefully to turn hopes for a free and independent Palestinian state into a reality.
Nevertheless, Malaysia did not advocate hatred toward Jews, Ahmad Shabery added. "We must remind the citizens that the Jews are not our enemies," he said. "What we are against is the Zionism practiced by the administration in Tel Aviv." Malaysia currently chairs the 57-nation Organization of the Islamic Conference, the world's largest Muslim political grouping. Former Malaysian prime minister Mahathir Mohamad repeatedly caused outrage with anti-Jewish statements. Shortly before his retirement in 2003, he told a summit of Islamic leaders that "Jews rule the world by proxy. They get others to fight and die for them."