ADC slams Malaysian leader
The Anti-Defamation Commission has condemned Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad for describing Jews as “hook-nosed” and blaming Israel for creating the troubles in the Middle East.
Mahathir Mohamad
In an interview with the BBC the PM said “If you are going to be truthful, the problem in the Middle East began with the creation of Israel.. That is the truth. But I cannot say that.” He also disputed the fact that 6 million Jews were killed in the Holocaust, claiming the figure was 4 million, and added, “They are hook-nosed. Many people called the Malays fat-nosed. We didn’t object, we didn’t go to war for that.” He has said, “I am glad to be labeled antisemitic […] How can I be otherwise, when the Jews who so often talk of the horrors they suffered during the Holocaust show the same Nazi cruelty and hard-heartedness towards not just their enemies but even towards their allies should any try to stop the senseless killing of their Palestinian enemies.”
Chairman of the ADC Dr Dvir Abramovich said: “This latest tirade and alarming attack on Israel and on the Jewish people confirms that PM Mahathir Mohamad has not abandoned his antisemitic views. It is especially troubling when the head of a nation voices such ugly beliefs, deploying the stereotypical hook-nosed description of the Jews, minimising the extent of the Holocaust, and demonising Israel. Unfortunately, this is not an isolated case, and not the first time that PM Mohamad has publicly expressing his anti-Jewish bigotry. This is a leader who claimed that, “The Jews rule this world by proxy,” and has argued that sympathy for victims of the Holocaust is “wasted and misplaced”. Such rhetoric carries the risk of legitimising and encouraging violence against Jews, and we call on the international community to denounce him for these hate-filled remarks.”
