Israeli woman can enter KL for child abuse forum
Israeli woman can enter KL for child abuse forum
KUALA LUMPUR (Kyodo): An Israeli woman has been allowed to
enter Malaysia to attend an international forum on child abuse in
what is seen as a strong indication that Malaysia is moving
toward opening links with Israel, forum organizers said
yesterday.
In the absence of diplomatic relations between the two
countries, Israeli visitors are barred from Malaysia, and
Malaysians from visiting Israel.
Tamar Cohen, founder of Meital, a Jerusalem-based
nongovernmental organization which deals with the sexual abuse of
children, was given permission by the Home Ministry to attend the
three-day 10th International Congress on Child Abuse and Neglect,
which opened yesterday.
Mohamed Sham Kassim, the chairman of the organizing committee,
referring to obtaining permission from the Home Ministry said,
"It is good for them to come and listen to what we have to say."
Cohen, who has dual Israeli and U.S. citizenship, used her
U.S. passport to enter Malaysia. But, she said, conference
organizers were aware that she is representing Israel.
"I hope that relations can be formed from this kind of open
communication," Cohen said.
A strong supporter of the Palestine Liberation Organization
(PLO), Muslim Malaysia does not have diplomatic or trade ties
with Israel. But it has shown signs of softening its strong anti-
Israel stand in the wake of the Israeli-PLO peace accord last
year.
Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said it is still too
early to establish diplomatic relations with Israel, but several
recent events have raised speculation of moves in that direction.
Mahathir, who said he has received and replied to letters from
Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin seeking diplomatic
relations, denied Israeli news reports that he secretly met Rabin
in Paris in July when both stayed at the same hotel during
official visits to France.
A prominent Malaysian businessman, Abdullah Abdul Rahman, who
is the younger brother of Malaysian King Ja'afar Abdul Rahman and
a close friend of Mahathir, visited Israel in June where he met
Rabin and Foreign Minister Shimon Peres to discuss what he called
"business opportunities."
About 900 participants from 62 countries are attending the
biennial conference, which is being held for the first time in
Asia.
The conference's main organizer is the U.S.-based
International Society for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect.