Malaysia not ready to set up diplomatic ties with Israel
Malaysia not ready to set up diplomatic ties with Israel
KUALA LUMPUR (AFP): Malaysia has reiterated that it is not
ready to establish diplomatic ties with Israel, after denying
reports that it had sent a royal emissary to work out plans for
links with the Jewish state.
The Malaysian cabinet decided at a weekly meeting that Kuala
Lumpur should first gauge Israel's sincerity in seeking peace in
Palestine, Foreign Minister Abdullah Badawi told an informal
press gathering late Thursday.
Abdullah said Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad conveyed
Israel's request to forge diplomatic ties with Malaysia to the
cabinet, which ruled out any such links.
"The cabinet wants to wait and see how sincere Israel is in
adhering to the peace agreement it signed with the Palestine
Liberation Organization (PLO) before making a decision," Abdullah
said.
Predominantly-Moslem Malaysia is a strong supporter of the
PLO, and has been closely gauging developments since the
signature last September of the declaration of principles signed
between Israel and the PLO on Palestinian autonomy.
Officials said yesterday that Mahathir had raised the issue in
cabinet following a recent Israeli Television report that
businessman Prince Abdullah Abdul Rahman, the younger brother of
Malaysia's king Tuanku Ja'afar Abdul Rahman, paid a discreet
private visit to Israel last week.
Prince Abdullah, chairman of listed Melewar Corp, a major
commercial and investment firm, was reported to have held talks
last Tuesday with Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and later with
Foreign Minister Shimon Peres before leaving Israel last
Thursday.
The broadcast described the visit as a "political breakthrough
that could lead to an agreement "in principle" to establish
diplomatic ties.
Abdullah denied that the prince was given a diplomatic
passport to enter Israel, adding he would clarify the report with
the prince on his return from overseas.
Melewar had said it had no knowledge of the visit, insisting
the prince was then holidaying in Paris after visiting Italy.
The French embassy here said the prince had recently applied
for a visa to visit France.