Malaysia recently invited the Malaysian ambassador to Washington to explain Kuala Lumpur’s “strong policy” on Israel.
Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan confirmed the meeting, according to the Malaysia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He pointed out that Ambassador Muhammad Shahrul Ikram Yaakob has reiterated the country’s long-standing immigration policy of not recognizing the State of Israel.
The dispute revolves around a recent incident with a citizen of both the United States and Israel. The person had a valid US passport with him when he first came into Malaysia.
But a subsequent background check by the local authorities showed his Israeli citizenship. According to reports from state news agency Bernama, he was immediately summoned to leave the country.
International news agencies have called on the U.S. State Department for comment, which has yet to come.
Fallout from Digital Nomad Community Closure and US Backlash
The diplomatic spat became a serious affair shortly after a community of people called “digital nomads” and dubbed “Network School” received a lot of harsh criticism in the public media. The project was established in Malaysia by tech investor and US-based start-up enthusiast Balaji Srinivasan, and was met with accusations on social media that it was secretly admitting Israeli participants.
Malaysia continues to be a firm advocate of the Palestinian cause and has no diplomatic relations with the Israelites.
All attendees, in fact, had valid travel documents, an official immigration investigation of the Network School reported. But on Tuesday, Malaysian authorities closed the program down for good, even with this clearance.
The unexpected shutdown caused great dismay to American legislators. Eight U.S. congressmen sent a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio urging in a formal letter that Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim halt his push for the deportation of Israeli citizens and his attempt to trace them down.
The congressmen in their letter called for an overall examination of both the economic and security relations between the United States and Malaysia.
Additionally, the legislators called for immediate suspension of funding for International Military Education and Training program. They said the training, a vital professional development program for the Malaysian army, should be suspended if Kuala Lumpur doesn’t amend its deportation decision within 15 days.
