US summons Malaysia envoy over Israel policy dispute

The United States has summoned Malaysia's ambassador to Washington after a dispute over Kuala Lumpur's long-standing refusal to recognise Israel. The move comes amid renewed scrutiny of Malaysia's immigration policy and the handling of a dual US-Israeli national who entered the country on a US passport. Malaysia says its position is not new and is tied to its support for the Palestinian cause.

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Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan said ambassador Muhammad Shahrul Ikram Yaakob told the US State Department that Malaysia's policy on Israel had not changed. He said Malaysia does not recognise the State of Israel or what he described as the Zionist regime, and that this has long been the country's position. Hasan also said the individual in question held both US and Israeli citizenship, and was asked to leave after checks revealed the second nationality.

The row follows controversy around the Network School, a digital nomad community founded in Malaysia by US investor Balaji Srinivasan. Social media users claimed the school included participants from Israel, prompting a probe by Malaysian authorities. Officials later found that all participants had valid travel documents, but the school was still shut down on Tuesday.

The episode has added to tensions over how Malaysia applies its entry rules to Israeli nationals and dual citizens. Malaysia has no diplomatic ties with Israel and has repeatedly linked that stance to its support for Palestinians and opposition to Israeli actions in Gaza and the occupied West Bank. The issue has now drawn in Washington, where eight US congressmen sent a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressing outrage over Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's plan to track Israeli citizens in Malaysia and deport them immediately.

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The diplomatic exchange highlights how a domestic immigration decision has become part of a wider political dispute. Anwar said on Wednesday that Malaysia would continue to bar Israeli citizens from entering the country despite objections from members of the US Congress. He said the government was guided by its commitment to defend Palestinian rights and oppose what he called the oppression, aggression and continued killing of Palestinians in Gaza.

He also said threats would not deter Malaysia from upholding its decision to prohibit the entry of any Israeli national. What remains unclear is whether the US summons will lead to any further diplomatic steps or a formal protest. It is also not clear whether the dispute will affect broader US-Malaysia ties, which have now been pulled into a sensitive issue involving immigration enforcement, dual nationality and the Israel-Palestine conflict.

For now, the immediate focus is on Malaysia's response and whether Washington seeks clarification or a policy change.

#Malaysia #UnitedStates #Israel #diplomacy #immigration

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