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.