"We must not go on a confrontational course," Badawi (AFP)

By Kazi Mahmood, IOL Southeast Asia correspondent

KUALA LUMPUR, November 7 (IslamOnline.net) - Malaysia’s new Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi called for better understanding of former Premier’s Mahathir Mohamad’s statements that were dubbed anti-Semitic, in what some viewed as 'an olive branch to Zionists'.

Abdullah said Thursday that the so-called anti-Semitic issue should not be approached in a confrontational manner but should be tackled with a better understanding of the issue, according to Bernama news agency Thursday, November 6.

"We must not go on a confrontational course but rather have a better understanding of the issue," he said.

Abdullah, in his comments to the press, added that Mahathir’s statement at the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) summit in October was not confrontational but the former Premier was only "explaining and making a reference to history."

At the summit, Dr Mahathir, who retired as Prime Minister last Friday, had said that Jews have become very powerful and now rule the world by proxy.

Abdullah said Mahathir was explaining what had happened to the Jews, who was persecuted before, and how successful they are today.

He said Mahathir wanted Muslims to understand that "today you may be persecuted and there is profiling against Islam, so how do you respond?

"You must respond with patience, understanding and with knowledge and you must strategize. Then only can you survive," Abdullah said.

'Olive Branch'

However, his comments were lambasted as an ‘olive branch’ to the Zionists by a political analyst in Kuala Lumpur.

“Malaysia is increasingly becoming a hot spot for non-Muslims, especially from the U.S., Britain and Australia, which forms the anti-Islam axis,” Mohamad Duar, a political analyst living in Kuala Lumpur, told IslamOnline.net Friday, November 7.

“Mahathir’s speech is still spin rolling in the minds of these people and they are now using the Jewish lobby to press for another agenda. That is to have more religious freedom to propagate Christianity or Judaism in Malaysia itself,” added the analyst.

Jewish groups in the U.S. have also vowed to boycott Malaysian products as a sign of protest against the speeches made by Mahathir.

Last week, a strong Jewish lobby in the United States resulted in the congress canceling military aid to Malaysia on the basis that such aids would be considered only if the majority Muslim nation would consider more religious freedom for non-Muslims.

“Abdullah’s stance on the issue, one of compromising, will probably soften the ardent Jews and allow Malaysia to breath. However, knowing the Zionists, it is certain they will take advantage of the olive branch handed over to them by Abdullah,” added the analyst.