Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim addressed a pro-Palestinian rally Wednesday night where he sharply criticized Israel’s actions in Gaza, remarks that come weeks before he hosts a key Israeli ally, US President Donald Trump.
“What we’re fighting against is the giant Israel,” Anwar told thousands who gathered in the capital, Kuala Lumpur. “But we are not, in the slightest, afraid or anxious.”
The Gaza conflict — where Israel has been battling Hamas for two years — threatens to complicate Trump’s planned attendance at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit on Oct. 26-28. Malaysia’s main opposition party is demanding a meeting with the US leader to protest Israel’s actions and plans a public rally during his visit.
Anwar defended his decision to host Trump and said he has no plans to rescind the invitation. “I’m not yielding,” he said. “I want to negotiate.”
The Malaysian premier is a longstanding critic of Israel, but faces a delicate test with Trump’s visit. Anger is rising in the Muslim-majority nation over the destruction in Gaza by Israeli forces and the resultant humanitarian crisis. The US has strongly endorsed Israel’s right to defend itself. At the same time Anwar is seeking to engage with the US leader, who has imposed some of the world’s highest tariffs on ASEAN members.
Malaysia was hit with a 19% levy on exports to the US — separate from sectoral levies. The US is Malaysia’s third-biggest trading partner and third-largest market for chip exports.
Anwar also needs to appeal to voters at home who view support for Palestinians as a religious duty. Since taking power in late 2022, he has sought to strengthen his Islamist credentials by expanding the role of the federal agency overseeing Islamic affairs.
Chants of “Free Palestine” echoed throughout the indoor arena in Kuala Lumpur where the rally took place on Wednesday. The demonstration came after Israel detained Malaysian activists who joined a flotilla of ships seeking to deliver aid to Gaza. Thousands of Malaysians also gathered outside the US embassy last week demanding Washington take action over Israel.
Twenty-three activists who were held by Israel after the ships they were on were intercepted returned to Malaysia on Tuesday, having been deported first to Turkey. Some of them spoke at the Wednesday rally.
Earlier in the day, Anwar slammed Israel’s move to intercept another flotilla carrying humanitarian aid for Gaza, and demanded that nine other Malaysian activists taking part be released.
Trump has put forward a 20-point peace plan aimed at ending a war that’s also destabilized much of the Middle East. He is pressing Israel and Hamas to secure a settlement at talks in Egypt, making clear he’s losing patience with both Israel and Hamas. The militant group has been designated by the US and European Union as a terrorist organization.
Hamas launched raids on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people and abducting another 250. The resulting war has killed over 67,000 Gazans, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.
This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
