PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang today called for military aid for Palestinian Gaza in the face of attacks by the Israeli Defence Force.

Debating the emergency motion condemning the Jewish state’s latest round of deadly attacks, Abdul Hadi (PAS-Marang) said this can be considered if it is something that the Palestinians require.

NONE “An economic boycott should be implemented against Israel, as well as a media boycott including by the Malaysian media towards (newswires) which are still influenced by zionists and have defended the Israel state.

“And if needed, military aid can be extended to teach this negara haram a lesson,” he said in support of the motion.

Hadi’s statement matches that made by BN’s Rembau MP Khairy Jamaluddin, who on Twitter today mulled the idea of Muslim nations sending arms to Gaza.

“Violence begets violence but there is also the need for legitimate defence. Time Muslim world think about sending arms to Palestine,” he had said.

A motion was tabled in the Dewan Rakyat today condemning Israel’s latest round of deadly attacks on the occupied territory of Gaza in Palestine, which have left hundreds of people dead.

NONE “The Malaysian people hold firm to the stance that there is no justification for the disproportionate, indiscriminate and excessive attacks on the Palestinian Territory of Gaza and thus reject the collective punishment imposed on the Palestinian people in Gaza,” reads the motion tabled by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz.

The motion expresses Malaysia’s dismay and regret at the impotence of the international community, particularly the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), hamstrung by veto by the United States, to stop the violence casually meted out on Gaza by the Jewish state and conveniently overlooked by the self-proclaimed champions of human rights in the name of “state security”.

Passed unanimously after a 90-minute debate, it also called for United Nations and Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) peacekeepers to be placed throughout Palestine.

‘Israel only understands the language of war’

Meanwhile, during the debates, Abdul Hadi also called on Malaysia to acknowlege Hamas as the legitimate government of the West Bank, as elected by the Palestinian people.

NONE “But because of Israeli pressure, a minority group is governing, although it is this minority that is used for all sorts of ‘solutions’ which condemn the Palestinian people,” he said.

Like Abdul Hadi, P Kamalanathan (BN-Hulu Selangor) added that leaders of Israel, a “devil” nation, should be listed as war criminals and punished for the attacks which kill civilians, like attacks which affect hospitals.

“Israel does not understand the language of negotiations, but the language of bullets and war,” said Zulkifli Noordin (Ind-Kulim Bandar Baharu) who visited Gaza last week.

Anwar Ibrahim (PKR-Permatang Pauh) proposed that Malaysia’s Foreign Minister Anifah Aman visit Gaza himself to show Malaysia’s seriousness in the matter.

NONE “If not Gaza, to neighbouring nations like Tunisia, Egypt and Turkey to provide support for those nations’ efforts to assist Gaza,” he said, calling also for greater pressure against Israeli ally the United States.

Meanwhile, Kamaruddin Jaafar (PAS-Tumpat) called on the government to stop all trade with Israel, albeit through third countries, including the sale of palm oil.

In response, Mohd Nazri said that Malaysia has no direct trade with Israel but as a country which has an open trade policy, it cannot control the final destination of its products.

‘Malaysia can’t recognise Hamas’

On recognising Hamas, the minister said that as a member of the United Nations, Malaysia is bound by regulations not to recognise Hamas as the party’s constitution calls for the destruction of  Israel.

“Malaysia is bound by UN regulations that its members must not deny the existence of the Israeli state,” he said, adding that an “informal relationship” does exist between Malaysia and Hamas.

Replying to Mahfuz Omar (PAS-Pokok Sena), he said that it is also tricky for the Malaysian Parliament to independently recognise Hamas as the party which has the parliamentary majority to make up the executive.

“We have to be careful on this. The important thing is to solve the Palestine issue, and not whether a political party is acknowleged or not,” he said.

However, he said, Malaysia is supportive of Palestine’s efforts to form a sovereign state, and was also part of a Non-Aligned Movement efforts to broker peace in the Middle East.

“Our foreign minister was part of a delegation for an extraordinary NAM meeting (on this) but was not allowed into Ramallah as we do not have diplomatic ties with Israel. But we continue to make efforts,” he said.

He added that the prime minister had today also met with US President Barack Obama on the matter in Cambodia today, to which Obama promised greater efforts to stop the ongoing attacks.

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