KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim says he will take Parliament’s mandate advocating firm action to stop the ongoing Israeli aggression and atrocities against the Palestinians to the extraordinary Arab-Islamic Summit.
The Prime Minister said Malaysia will also raise issues regarding the invasion and destruction of places of worship in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) and the open attacks on regions in Lebanon and Iran.
The assassinations of Hamas leaders Ismail Haniyeh and Yahya Sinwar will also be brought up at the summit, he added.
“Malaysia’s participation as a member of the Global Alliance is also part of efforts to step up diplomatic pressure on Israel to carry out a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, to push for the release of Palestinian prisoners and continuation of humanitarian aid for Palestinians,” he told the Dewan Rakyat here yesterday.
Anwar has received an invitation from King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia to participate in the summit on Nov 11, to be held in Riyadh.
The summit will discuss the ongoing war crimes and atrocities committed by Israel against Palestine.
The Prime Minister said action plans and concrete steps for the independence of Palestine will also be discussed.
“The summit will also address challenges faced by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), following the Israeli regime’s decision to ban the operations of the humanitarian organisation on Oct 28,” he said in a briefing on the Palestinian issue.
He added that Malaysia will also propose that full support be given to UNRWA in carrying out its mandate to provide social services and humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people.He said Malaysia intends to use the summit to garner support from Arab and Islamic countries to prevent the implementation of the Israeli Parliament’s decision on Oct 28 to ban the UNRWA from operating in the conflict-ridden area.
“One approach that can be taken is for the Arab-Islamic Summit to support mediation efforts for a ceasefire by the United States, Egypt and Qatar, as these countries have developed a framework for an agreement that must be accepted by all parties involved,” he said.
Anwar said Malaysia has taken stronger measures to pressure Israel to end the violence in Palestine than more countries were willing to take.
“Malaysia has been strong in its stance. Not many countries in this world have taken similar decisions,” he said, citing as an example, the ban on vessels belonging to Israeli shipping company Zim from docking in Malaysian waters.
