As a student leader in Malaysia in the late 1960s, Anwar Ibrahim championed the cause of the Palestinians. Now as prime minister, his moves to stoke anti-Israel sentiment are endearing him to a voting block pivotal to the survival of his government.
After scraping through with a majority following last year¡¯s hung parliament, Anwar has become Asia¡¯s most outspoken leader in railing against Israel and its backers in the U.S. and Europe. He called the military action in Gaza the ¡°height of barbarism¡± at a rally last month, and on Tuesday he told parliament that Malaysia will continue to back Hamas despite the threat of U.S. sanctions.
¡°Palestine is colonized through apartheid, ethnic cleansing and now genocide,¡± Anwar told lawmakers. ¡°Whatever happened is the legitimate right and struggle of the Palestinian people.¡±
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