Jewish group protests ‘unrepentant anti-semite’ Mahathir ahead of Oxford speech.

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Jewish group protests ‘unrepentant anti-semite’ Mahathir ahead of Oxford speechFMT Reporters -

January 18, 2019 7:41 PM

Dr Mahathir Mohamad, well-known for his hard-hitting comments against Israel, will address the Oxford Union today. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA: An interest group representing Jewish students in Oxford has questioned the Oxford Union’s invitation to Dr Mahathir Mohamad, as the prime minister prepares to address the prestigious debating society later today.

The Oxford Jewish Society, calling Mahathir “an open and unrepentant anti-semite”, said the Union has agreed to hear out concerns by members.

“Prime Minister (Mahathir) Mohamad is an open and unrepentant anti-semite, accusing Jews of ‘Nazi cruelty’ and seeking to wipe out all Muslims, has said ‘anti-semitic’ is ‘an invented term to prevent criticising Jews for doing wrong’, as well as indulging in Holocaust denial,” said its president Nicole Jacobus in a statement yesterday.

“Given an opportunity to reframe his comments on a recent edition of BBC’s ‘Hardtalk’, he instead chose to refer to Jews as ‘hook-nosed’.”

Mahathir’s speech at the Oxford Union is scheduled at 5pm today (1am Saturday Malaysian time).

The Oxford Union has a tradition of hosting debates and speakers stretching back to 1823, and had included a list of illustrious British leaders such as Winston Churchill and Margaret Thatcher.

Mahathir is the first Malaysian leader to address the Union.

The veteran leader has been a frequent critic of Israeli policies, and had in the past drawn protests from Jewish lobbies in the West.

Speaking at the United Nations General Assembly in September last year, Mahathir lambasted world leaders for not taking action against Israel.

“The world does not care even when Israel breaks international laws, seizing ships carrying medicine, food and building materials in international waters. The Palestinians fired ineffective rockets which hurt no one.

“The world rewards Israel, deliberately provoking Palestine by recognising Jerusalem as the capital of Israel,” he had said.

The following month, Mahathir defended his speech on BBC’s Hardtalk programme, saying he was giving a “truthful” assessment of the Middle East problem.

Pressed on comments he made in his 1970 book “The Malay Dilemma” in which he had described the Jews as “hook-nosed”, Mahathir said:

“That is an opinion and I gave them my opinion on things. They are hook-nosed,” Mahathir replied.

https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2019/01/18/jewish-group-protests-unrepentant-antisemite-mahathir-ahead-of-oxford-speech/

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