Malaysia deeply concerned over recent us govt’s positions on Palestine

0

PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia has expressed that it is deeply concerned and strongly disagrees with the recent positions taken by the United States (US) government with regards to Palestine.

The Foreign Ministry (Wisma Putra) in a statement here yesterday said Malaysia firmly believes that the positions taken by the US government were counterproductive towards finding a comprehensive and lasting solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

“It would also undermine and jeopardise the efforts of the international community in ensuring the security and stability of the region,” said Wisma Putra.

Wisma Putra said Malaysia further regarded the actions of the US government as a humiliation to the Palestinians and their struggle for the right to self-determination.

“It would inflame sentiments and hamper any future peace negotiations,”it said.

Over the past few weeks, the US government had decided to cut more than US$200 million in bilateral aid to the Palestinians; ended its contribution to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA); and ordered the closure of the office of the General Delegation of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) in Washington.

The US government had also attributed its decision to close the PLO Office over the efforts by Palestine to prompt an investigation against Israel by the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Wisma Putra in the statement said such moves by the US government weakened the multilateral system; ignored the reality on the ground; supported and helped to perpetuate Israel’s brutal policies which contravened international law; and violated the rights of the Palestinian people.

It also said all of these were preceded by the previous decision of the US government to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and subsequently moved its Embassy to Jerusalem, which many had regarded as unacceptable.

In view of the recent developments, Wisma Putra said Malaysia called upon the Muslim community to continue showing their solidarity with the Palestinian people and hoped for a stronger support in order to end the longest occupation in modern history.

Malaysia also urged the international community to pursue all legal, political, diplomatic and economic channels to create the necessary conditions for peace in the region.

“The Palestinian cause is not an issue for Muslims alone, but also to all who believe in the multilateral system.

“We must uphold the legitimate right to self-determination, which constitutes one of the very core principles of the United Nations (UN) in its founding,”  Wisma Putra added.

Malaysia also reiterated its firm position that a two-state solution, in which the Palestinians and the Israelis live side by side in peace, based on the pre-1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine, is the only viable solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. — Bernama