KUALA LUMPUR: Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan has accused Israel of seeking to undermine efforts to bring peace to the Middle East, saying the international community must intensify pressure on the “illegal Zionist regime” as it continues military operations in Lebanon and the Palestinian territories.
Mohamad said Israel’s actions showed it had little interest in regional stability despite ongoing diplomatic efforts to secure a ceasefire and reduce tensions.
“What signal is Israel sending to the world? The signal is that they do not want peace and stability in the region because they have their own interests,” he said in the Dewan Rakyat on Tuesday (June 23).
He said Malaysia would continue raising the issue through international platforms including the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), BRICS and the United Nations.
Mohamad said he had recently spoken to the incoming president of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) from Bangladesh, who will assume the role in September, and expressed hope that more than 140 countries would support future resolutions aimed at increasing pressure on Israel.
“If we can secure support from more than 140 countries, it will constitute significant pressure on Israel to stop its incursions into Lebanon, end the atrocities in Gaza and halt encroachment in the occupied Palestinian territories,” he said.
Mohamad also stressed that Malaysians should not refer to Israel as an “illegal state”, saying they should instead use the term “illegal Zionist regime” because Malaysia does not recognise Israel as a legitimate country.
“Don’t say ‘the state of Israel’. Say the illegal Zionist regime of Israel,” he told the Lower House.
Mohamad condemned Israel’s continued military operations in Lebanon, saying at least 10 people were killed there on Monday (June 22) alone and that such incidents had become a near-daily occurrence since the conflict expanded beyond Gaza.
“There are no words that we can explain,” he said, describing the suffering of civilians, particularly women and children.
The minister said it was difficult to comprehend that descendants of Holocaust survivors were now being accused of committing atrocities against Palestinians and other civilians in the region.
He also claimed Israel had openly signalled broader territorial ambitions through maps depicting an expanded Israel stretching into parts of Lebanon, Syria and Egypt.
“That is their aspiration. They will continue pursuing it because they are protected by a major power with formidable military strength,” he added.
