A group of eight Democratic US House members, led by Reps. Greg Landsman and Josh Gottheimer, sent a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio demanding a review of ties with Malaysia after the country ordered the deportation of all Israeli citizens. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim rejected the pressure, saying he will defend the ban and that the country's opposition to Israel is due to 'the occupation.'
The diplomatic confrontation between Malaysia and the United States over Kuala Lumpur's anti-Israel policy escalated Sunday, as eight Democratic US House members called for sanctions and a review of American ties with the Southeast Asian nation. The lawmakers, led by Reps. Greg Landsman (OH) and Josh Gottheimer (NJ), sent a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio demanding that the administration suspend military aid and review programs like IMET for a country they said 'works against Jews and welcomes terrorists.'
The letter follows Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's order to locate and deport any Israeli citizen found in the country, a directive that emerged from a controversy over a tech community in Forest City, Johor. Anwar has defended the policy, citing a decades-long opposition to Israel and stating that he met with a Hamas leader. He rejected the US pressure, saying the decision to block Israeli entry would be defended 'forcefully.'
The Zioneer has reported on the developing situation over the past week, including the initial deportation order, the freezing of a $117 million tech investment, and the prime minister's defiant stance. The current escalation brings the dispute directly to the US Congress, where lawmakers are increasingly vocal about the anti-Israel measures.
3 developments
- DevelopingMalaysia Threatens to Deport Israelis from Tech Hub, Freezes $117 Million Expansion
- DevelopingMalaysian PM Anwar Ibrahim vows to deport any Israeli found in the country
- DevelopingMalaysian PM orders immediate expulsion of all Israelis from the country
- StrongDemocratic senators demand probe into alleged secret $500M UAE crypto investment linked to Trump family
Source and signal
- Open-source intake