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After Israel and the United Arab Emirates reached a historic agreement to normalize relations, it remains unlikely that Malaysia will accept Israel as a state anytime soon. But there are promising signs that attitudes are changing, albeit slowly.
By Umair Jamal |
In an unprecedented development, Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) agreed to normalize relations after years of discreet contacts. The so-called “Abraham Agreement” between the two countries has secured a commitment from Tel Aviv to stop further annexation of Palestinian land in the occupied West Bank.
If the agreement between Israel and the United Arab Emirates is executed successfully, it may pave the way for other major Islamic countries, including Malaysia, to recognize Israel’s independence. Malaysia has never recognized Israel as a state and stands firm in its support for the Palestinian cause, supporting a two-state solution to the conflict.
The Malaysian government has not officially responded to the agreement between Israel and the United Arab Emirates. However, the agreement is likely to further fuel existing anti-Israel sentiment in Indonesia. Hatred of Jews, as well as Israel as a country and national identity, runs deep in Malaysia. Governments, political parties, Islamists, and the media use anti-Semitism to obtain national political capital.
However, there is hope that this will change; some elements of Malaysian society are pushing for the normalization of ties between the two countries.
Are relations between Israel and Malaysia at a point of no return?
Malaysia remains one of the most anti-Israel countries in the world. As in other parts of the Muslim world, support for Palestine is expressed at the highest levels of the state. It would not be unwise to argue that the country’s governments have a vested interest in sparking anti-Semitic fervor, as it often unifies divided political forces in Malaysia.
Former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad believes that the agreement between Israel and the United Arab Emirates would divide the Muslim world. “They will increase the ability of the contenders to fight each other, and there will be no peace even between Muslim countries,” he said.
Malaysia does not hide its disdain for Israel. In 2019, she announced that she would open an embassy accredited to Palestine in Jordan to offer financial aid to the Palestinians. Also, last year, Kuala Lumpur refused to allow the Israelis to participate in the World Para Swimming Championships. The country remained in this position even after losing the rights to host the tournament. Malaysia’s Minister of Youth and Sports, Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman, had no regrets. “Malaysia stands firm with our decision on the basis of humanity and compassion for the difficult Palestinian situation,” he said. “We will not compromise.”
A long history of anti-Semitism in Malaysia
Anti-Israel attitudes and anti-Semitism are part of the state-promoted social control in Malaysia, which probably won’t go away anytime soon. Furthermore, anyone suspected of supporting Israel in Malaysia runs the risk of being labeled as unpatriotic. For decades, Malaysia’s political elite has viewed the Palestine-Israel dispute not only as a foreign policy issue but as a useful cause for gathering political support at the national level.
To some extent, the problem has also been one of the main factors fueling the country’s highly racialized political landscape, where Malay Islam has become a form of religious nationalism. For example, Mahathir, who hails from the Malay ethnic community and first served as prime minister from 1981 to 2003, hinted in 2016 that Jews and Muslims are natural enemies, saying that “1.3 billion Muslims cannot be defeated. for a few million Jews. ”
In Malaysia, approximately 60% of the country’s 32 million people are Muslims of Malay ethnicity. According to a survey by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), 61% of Malaysia’s population exhibits anti-Semitic sentiments, which is significantly higher than other Southeast Asian states.
Source: Anti-Defamation League
As Malay society has become increasingly polarized, blaming Israel and the Jews for a variety of crimes and government failures has become an integral part of Malaysian politics. “There is a decades-long tradition of political leaders in Malaysia turning to anti-Semitic tropes to explain all kinds of social, political and economic circumstances,” said Michael Salberg, ADL Director of International Affairs. “It’s a classic scapegoat, diverting responsibility to an invisible hand.”
Is there any light at the end of the tunnel?
For the new generation of educated and globally mobile Malaysians, who are fast becoming a major electoral force, Israel and the Jews represent the opposite of the religious nationalism they wish to reject in the country.
This representation comes from the country’s growing middle class who believe in a truly liberal and secular Malaysia. These groups do not necessarily belong to ethnic minorities; most of them also come from the country’s privileged Malay community.
The Israeli government also believes that support for the Jewish people and the State of Palestine is increasing in Malaysia. “From our contacts with Malaysian citizens it is clear to us that many of them support Israel and in fact reject and feel shamed by the anti-Semitism coming from their government,” said Michael Ronen, head of the Southeast Asia office of the Foreign Ministry. From Israel.
Mary Ainslie, author of a book titled Anti-Semitism in Contemporary Malaysia: Malay Nationalism, Philosemitism, and Pro-Israel Expressions, he believes there are encouraging signs of change. “We should not confuse loud noises with loud noises,” he warned. “Anti-Semitism is part of a ‘reaction’ against the breaking of social control, it is ugly and it is noisy, but it is a reaction against broader social changes that are a force for good,” he added.
“Perhaps these views are getting stronger among those who hold them, but I don’t think they are increasing among the general population. Instead, the truth is quite the opposite, “he concluded, and his words reflect the fact that if change is to occur, it will not occur quickly.
It is very clear that while there are some encouraging signs that anti-Semitism is on the wane in Malaysia, it will be some time before the state is ready to accept Israel. As the older generation of Malaysian political leaders gradually withdraw, anti-Semitism in the country is likely to wane in the coming years. That will open space for the new generation of Malaysian politicians to consider reviewing their country’s relationship with Israel, something that has so far been impossible.
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