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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsMalaysia has 'right' to ban Israelis, says PM, rejecting anti-Semitism charge
Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said that it was the countrys right to deny entry to Israeli nationals and that it was unfair to label him as anti-Semitic for previous anti-Semitic remarks while criticizing the Israeli government.
Speaking on Friday evening before Oxford Universitys prestigious debating chamber, the Oxford Union, Mohamad said that a country has the right to keep its borders closed to certain people, thats why borders are there.
Malaysia has banned Israeli athletes from an upcoming Paralympic swimming tournament, a move harshly criticized by Israel shameful. Israel further called for the International Paralympic Committee to help reverse the decision or change the venue of the Kuching tournament, scheduled for July and August on the island of Borneo, a qualifying event for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics.
-snip-
"We feel that they were doing a lot of wrong things but getting away with it, because nobody dares to say anything against them, he said.
When pressed by a host on whether it was fair to penalize individual Israeli citizens or athletes because Malaysia may oppose the policies of the Israeli government, Mohamad responded with: Well, it is not fair to call me anti-Semitic; they should call other people anti-Semitic. I am not anti-Semitic, the Arabs are all Semitic people.
This was met with applause from the audience.
The Malaysian prime minister further defended himself against charges of anti-Semitism, when he was reminded that he had previously said Jewish people are hooked nosed with an instinctive sense of money, which the host pointed out are anti-Semitic statements.
Mohamad said these remarks were part of freedom of speech, and asked why we cant say anything against Israel, against the Jews?
https://www.timesofisrael.com/malaysia-has-a-right-to-ban-israelis-says-pm-rejecting-anti-semitic-charge/
msongs
(67,193 posts)DavidDvorkin
(19,406 posts)DavidDvorkin
(19,406 posts)samir.g
(835 posts)Their country, their rules.
DavidDvorkin
(19,406 posts)Mosby
(16,168 posts)Can move their tournaments to non-discriminatory countries.
procon
(15,805 posts)targeting national, ethnic and religious groups he dislikes.
The spread of hate and bigotry that are the hallmarks of trumpism is polluting the whole world.
11cents
(1,777 posts)Blaming it on Trump gives him a pass he doesn't deserve -- and denies antisemitism as a discrete phenomenon that existed before America did. Not everything has to with Trump -- or America.
keithbvadu2
(36,368 posts)I propose a government that makes counter-semitism central to all aims of the state. A government:
1) Of a People, for that people, free from jews
2) That cannot revoke the right to bear arms, such that this people can remain free from jews
3) that forbids all immigration except of biological kin, where no person of jewish origin may live, vacation, or traverse
Behind the Aegis
(53,833 posts)He has a history of anti-Semitism, so this is no surprise to anyone remotely aware of him. Of course, he will have those who are OK with his ban, but they would likely not be OK if another country banned an entire country's athletes from a competition soely because of the country they were from. Hypocrisy.