KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia should persist in joining the global community in condemning acts of terrorism by any group, including Israelis against Palestinians, said international relations experts.
International Institute of Advanced Islamic Studies Malaysia conference executive Muhd Nur Iman Ramli said despite being a small country, Malaysia was doing its best to uphold its duty, ensuring respect for international humanitarian law.
The government, he added, was also doing everything in its capacity to call for a ceasefire and work towards a peaceful settlement of the war.
"As said by Prime Minister (Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim), we condemn all forms of terrorism and strongly denounce actions that involve killing innocent lives and taking women and children as hostages.
"Similarly, we condemn the bombing of civilians, homes and hospitals, leading to atrocities against innocent lives, including children, women and men, occurring day and night in Gaza without consequences.
"These actions are clear violations of international law," he told the New Straits Times yesterday.
Iman said Anwar's stance on the matter had been clear, adding that only a ceasefire could stop the bloodshed in Gaza.
He said the only just way forward was to build peace based on the principles of human rights and within the framework of international law.
"There are clear double standards at play. Israel's allies continue to express unwavering support for what appears to be an unrestricted right to self-defence."
He criticised attempts to liken Malaysia's call for ceasefire to condoning terrorism, adding that Malaysia had championed the rights and freedoms of the Palestinians.
Iman said no reasonable person would assert this, especially after Israel had caused the death of 11,000 Gazans in the name of "self-defence".
"The stark contrast of 11,000 Gazan deaths compared with 1,400 Israeli deaths highlights the true aggressor.
"Why is the killing of Israeli civilians an outrage, and that of Palestinians collateral damage?
"The attempts to link Palestinian fighters to terrorist groups seem like a deliberate effort by Israel to position itself as a nation ready to engage in the fight against terrorism, aiming to stay relevant in the eyes of the US and the West," he said.
Former foreign minister Tan Sri Syed Hamid Albar said Malaysia had always been known to take a very independent and principled position in international politics and disputes.
He said the country's stance had been very clear, especially concerning issues of international law breaches, such as genocide, ethnic cleansing, apartheid and others.
"We have always supported the justice and rights of Palestinians. In this regard, we have made our voice heard for the sake of the oppressed.
"We are not supporting terrorism whether committed by a state, individual or groups, but we believe in the right to resistance and self-defence against oppression and injustice."
Anwar, who is in San Francisco, the United States, for the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Economic Leaders' Meeting, said Malaysia's position on the Palestine-Israel war and its calls for ceasefire had been spun to show that the government condoned acts of terrorism.
He said the lies and deceit needed to be straightened out and that Malaysia views what was happening in Gaza as a humanitarian crisis precipitated by a brutal and indiscriminate war.