The U.S. State Department summoned Malaysia’s ambassador to the U.S. over its position relating Israel in the wake of Kuala Lumpur’s expulsion of an individual holding a dual American-Israeli citizenship, Reuters reported on Friday.
Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan was cited by Malaysian state media Bernama as saying that the ambassador explained to American officials that Malaysia has long held a policy of not recognizing the Jewish state.
“Our immigration policy does not recognise the State of Israel or the Zionist regime. This has long been our position,” Ambassador Muhammad Shahrul Ikram Yaakob was cited as telling the U.S. State Department.
“There was an individual with dual citizenship, the U.S. and Israel, who entered Malaysia using his U.S. passport. However, subsequent checks revealed that he also held Israeli citizenship, and we asked him to leave,” the Malaysian envoy added.
In July, an anonymous group called Malaysian Protest 4 Palestine accused the tech startup company Network School, founded by U.S. investor Balaji Srinivasan, of hosting Israeli dual-passport holders.
In response, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said “if there are Israeli nationals involved, they will be deported immediately because Malaysia does not recognise Israel,” The Straits Times reported.
On July 16, Malaysian regulators revoked Network School’s operating license.
Eight Democratic congressmen wrote last week to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, calling on him to force Malaysia to cease its “hunt down” of Jews.
Reps. Greg Landsman (D-Ohio) and Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.) led the letter, in which they wrote that “Jews around the world have seen this playbook,” after Prime Minister Ibrahim said last week that his government would track down and deport Israeli citizens in the country.
“Malaysia’s refusal to recognize Israel is troubling enough,” the congressmen wrote. “But, it is totally unacceptable that a head of government has publicly declared that his country will hunt down and expel citizens of our close ally based solely on their nationality. It should not be underwritten by the American taxpayer.”
