Australian finance head slams Malaysia’s PM over anti-Semitism amid embassy spat
SYDNEY (AP) — A top Australian official seized Friday on past comments from Malaysia’s prime minister seen as anti-Semitic, amid a diplomatic war of words over the possibility of Canberra moving its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.
Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad raised the potential embassy switch in a meeting with Australian counterpart Scott Morrison in Singapore on Thursday, later telling reporters such a move could increase the threat of terrorism.
“I pointed out that in dealing with terrorism, one has to know the causes,” Mahathir said. “Adding to the cause for terrorism is not going to be helpful.”
Australian Treasurer Josh Frydenberg responded Friday, saying Canberra would make its own decisions. Frydenberg, the son of a Holocaust survivor, also pointed out past comments that the leader of Muslim-majority Malaysia has made about Jewish people.
“He has called Jews ‘hooked-nosed people.’ He has questioned the number of people that have been killed in the Holocaust. He banned ‘Schindler’s List’ as a movie being shown,” Frydenberg told reporters in Melbourne.
In an interview with the BBC last month, Mahathir said “the problem in the Middle East began with the creation of Israel,” and he defended his description of Jews as “hook-nosed” in his book, “The Malay Dilemma.”
“They are hook-nosed. Many people called the Malays fat-nosed. We didn’t object,” he told the BBC
source at : https://www.timesofisrael.com/australian-finance-head-slams-malaysias-pm-over-anti-semitism-amid-embassy-spat/?fbclid=IwAR0MT8ikbTMlwHQoBShwE77nN92gPFQYpr4_JAHOZ78nHIRzFPWpm_aWt3A
