US summons Malaysian ambassador over Israel stance

Malaysia’s foreign minister said the US State Department summoned the country’s ambassador to Washington to clarify Kuala Lumpur’s position on Israel.

Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan stated that Ambassador Mohamed Shahrul Ikram Yaakob told US officials that Malaysia’s longstanding policy of not recognizing Israel is not new.

He added, “This has always been Malaysia’s policy. Our immigration policy does not recognize the State of Israel or the Zionist entity. This is our consistent stance.”

Malaysia’s Bernama news agency quoted Mohamad late Thursday as saying, “There was an individual with dual American and Israeli citizenship who entered Malaysia using a US passport. Subsequent investigations revealed he also held Israeli citizenship, so we asked him to leave.”

Reuters has sought comment from the US embassy in Malaysia.

The incident followed scrutiny of the Skool Network, a “digital nomad” community founded by American investor Balaji Srinivasan in Malaysia, after social media users alleged it included Israeli participants.

There are no diplomatic relations between Israel and Malaysia, which is known for its strong support of the Palestinian cause.

Malaysian immigration authorities investigated the Skool Network and found all participants had valid travel documents. Nevertheless, authorities ultimately shut down the network on Tuesday.

Eight US Congress members later sent a letter to Senator Marco Rubio expressing anger over Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s plan to track and immediately deport any Israeli citizens in the country.

They urged the State Department to review US-Malaysia security and economic ties.

They also called on the State Department to halt funding for the International Military Education and Training program, which provides professional US training to Malaysian military personnel, unless the decision is reversed within 15 days.