They say they do not recognise the Jewish state, but are silent on whether they are contradicting the opposition leader.
PETALING JAYA: Top PAS leaders were evasive today when asked if the Islamic party’s stand on Israel contradicted the stand of PKR supremo Anwar Ibrahim.
PAS does not have an official stand on the so-called two-state solution to the Middle East conflict, which is supported by Malaysia and in Anwar’s recent controversial statement.
“We haven’t discussed the two-state issue,” PAS secretary-general Mustafa Ali told FMT. “The Israel-Palestine issue is a very complex matter. The two-state solution itself is something that is very much in limbo.
“We do not recognise Israel as a state and we stick to our stand.”
Asked whether he thought this went against with Anwar’s stand, Mustafa said: “Anwar is Anwar. We stick to our stand.”
The party’s information chief, Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man, said PAS would seek clarification on the matter from Anwar at the Pakatan Rakyat presidential council meeting.
“I understand that he has clarified the matter, but we will seek further clarification at the meeting,” he said, adding that the date for the meeting had yet to be set.
He said PAS did not recognise Israel as a state, adding: “The Muslim community around the world does not recognise Israel’s status as a state.”
He did not respond when asked if this was a contradiction of Anwar’s stand.
PAS Youth chief Nasruddin Hassan Tantawi, who twitted on Saturday that supporting Israel was tantamount to betraying the Muslim community worldwide, told FMT the two-state solution was complicated and difficult to realise.
“There are many things to consider,” he said. “Israel will have to hand over land it has taken from the Palestinians, and the issue of displacement of Palestinians will have to be addressed.”
Oppression and pain
He said he would recognis Israel only after it had been subject to international justice and when it had returned everything it had taken from the Palestinians.
Nasruddin told FMT he was not targeting anyone specific in his tweet message. “It is just a general message to remind all Muslims, including myself, to not support Israel, which has oppressed and caused much pain to the Palestinians.”
Anwar made his comments in an interview that the Wall Street Journal published last Thursday. He was quoted as saying that he supported “all efforts to protect the security of the state of Israel”.
The report said he “stopped short of saying he would open diplomatic ties with the Jewish state, a step which he said remains contingent on Israel respecting the aspirations of Palestinians”.
Umno-owned media have responded by painting Anwar as a supporter of Zionism.
Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin and other Umno leaders have asked Anwar to clarify his statements.
Anwar said yesterday that if the Palestinians’ rights were recognised, then Israeli rights must be recognised too.
“I was firm in stating that the wishes and rights of the Palestinian people must be protected and that includes the right to form an independent and sovereign state of their own, and not to be continuously oppressed,” he said. “If these conditions are to be fulfilled, then by the same logic, the rights of the Israelis should also be respected.”
He added that his view was in line with the Malaysian government’s stand on the issue as stated by Foreign Minister Anifah Aman in the United Nations general assembly last year.
“My view runs concurrent with that of Resolution 1397 of the United Nations Security Council and the Arab Peace Initiative, which promotes the two-state solution. What’s more, the same principle of a two-state solution approach has been addressed by the Foreign Minister,” he said.
