Malaysia’s Anwar rejects ‘totally absurd’ US military aid threat over Israel ban

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has rejected a threat from eight US lawmakers to suspend military aid over Malaysia's long-standing ban on Israeli nationals. The lawmakers, in a letter to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, accused Malaysia of violating international law by vowing to deport Israeli citizens and maintaining ties with Hamas, urging a review of security and economic relations and a suspension of International Military Education and Training program funding if the policy isn't reversed within 15 days. Anwar called the threat "totally absurd," stating, "We are against the presence here of any Israeli citizen – not Jews, but Israeli citizens because they are complicit in the murders, crimes and continuous oppression and colonisation of Palestine and Gaza." He affirmed Malaysia's sovereign right to control entry and its support for Palestinian statehood, while also emphasizing that the dispute should not harm broader US-Malaysia relations.