Guardian says Malaysian PM known for his “outspokenness”, omits what else he’s known for

A Guardian article, about warnings by Malaysian Prime Minister, Mahatir Mohamad, that Australia's decision to consider moving its embassy to Jerusalem said about the 92-year old leader that he's known for his outspokenness. However, what the Guardian didn't tell you is that he's also well known for expressing classic antisemitic rhetoric.

A Nov. 15th Guardian article, about warnings by Malaysian Prime Minister, Mahatir Mohamad, that the Australian government’s decision to consider moving its embassy to Jerusalem would add to terror threat, began thusly:

Scott Morrison’s contentious Israel policy shift has encountered more diplomatic headwinds, with Malaysia’s prime minister, Mahathir Mohamad, suggesting relocating the embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem would add to the cause of terrorism.

The Malaysian prime minister, known for his outspoken public interventions, raised concern in a meeting with Morrison at the Asean summit in Singapore about the prospect of Australia recognising Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.

However, in over 800 words of text, the Guardian journalist – Australian political editor Katharine Murphy – didn’t inform readers what else, beyond his “outspoken interventions”, Mohamad is “known for” – something that would provide important context to his objections to Canberra’s decision.

The 92-year-old leader has a long, well-documented history of antisemitism.

Last month, in a BBC News interview, Mohamad said Jews are “hook-nosed” repeating a variation of a charge he made in his 1970 book, where he wrote that “the Jews are not merely hook-nosed, but understand money instinctively”.  He also claimed, in the BBC interview, that the number of Jews killed in the Holocaust was not six million.  

In an interview with Associated Press in August, Mohamad said “Anti-Semitic is a term that is invented to prevent people from criticizing the Jews for doing wrong things”.

He’s also accused Israel of treating the Palestinians like the Nazis treated the Jews, and claimed that all the Middle East problems began with Israel’s creation.

In a 2003 speech at the Organization of the Islamic Conference summit, during his previous stint as prime minister, he called for “1.3 billion Muslims” to unite to “counterattack” against the “few million Jews” who had defeated them, suggested that Jews sought to “wipe out” all Muslims, and used the Holocaust as an example Muslims could emulate. 

He also told the gathering that, today, the “Jews rule the world by proxy”.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PJ9u8h3Gzw

So, in addition to being known for his “outspokenness”, Mohamad is also quite famous for spewing hate towards Israel and engaging in Protocols of the Elders of Zion style, conspiratorial antisemitism, a fact that places his objection to countries recognising Jerusalem as Israel’s capital in proper perspective.  

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