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.