Amanah lawmaker Hanipa Maidin has questioned why it was so difficult for Malaysia to simply decline hosting the UN Human Settlements Programme conference in Malaysia, in light of the controversy over the entry of Israeli diplomats. 

In a statement today, Hanipa cited the views of several former diplomats who told Malaysiakini that Malaysia cannot practice discrimination by barring Israeli diplomats from entering the country when hosting a UN event.

"While I respect their view, I do not agree with it. To show Malaysia's consistency as a country that does not recognise Israel, the issue here is that Malaysia was not seen as being firm by declining to host the programme.

"It is not about us hating the Israeli diplomats or otherwise.

"If the late former Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez could expel Israel's ambassador from his country as a symbol of protest over Israel's attacks against the Palestinians, why couldn't we decline to become the host?

"Is it because we couldn't or we didn’t want to?" he asked.

Last week, the Times of Israel reported that a delegation of senior diplomats had attended a week-long conference in Kuala Lumpur hosted by the UN Human Settlements Programme, or UN-Habitat.

Israeli diplomat David Roet (photo) was later quoted in The Jerusalem Post as saying that Israel had to resort to applying "extensive diplomatic pressure" in order to enter Malaysia and participate in the UN programme.

‘Even non-Muslim Chavez could do it’

Meanwhile, Hanipa further pointed to Venezuela's firm stance against Israel despite being neither an Islamic nation nor a member of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.

"The late Chavez was not Muslim, but he was more sympathetic with the plight of the Palestinians and was more firm in facing the Israelis.

"I agree that we are not enemies with the Jews, because we also believe in the prophets who were Jewish.

"But Israel as a country is a different thing. Allowing a diplomat from Israel whose cruelty against the Palestinians is clear shows that we are blessing their cruelty," he said.

Several quarters had questioned the government over the matter, with a group of NGOs saying that the recent solidarity rally with Palestine had proven to be mere empty rhetoric.

The Foreign Ministry had clarified that the participation of the Israeli delegation was not its call, and that it was based on an invitation issued by the UN.