PRIME Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad today defended Malaysia’s ban on Israeli athletes, likening it to US President Donald Trump’s plan to build a wall on the border with Mexico, reported AFP.

Malaysia sparked a row with Israel after saying it will not allow Israeli swimmers to compete in a tournament later this year that serves as a qualifying event for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics.

“Every country has the right to accept or refuse entry of anybody,” Dr Mahathir told a press conference in Vienna.

“You can see that in America now, they are erecting a very high wall to prevent Mexicans from entering.

“We have the same idea, that people who are undesirable for our country will be kept out.”

Last week, Israel said the decision was motivated by “rabid anti-Semitism” on Dr Mahathir’s part.

Israeli media reported that Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, during a meeting with Dr Mahathir yesterday, conveyed to the latter that “Austria is and remains without a doubt a ‘friend and partner of Israel’, and is committed to fight any form of anti-Semitism wherever it may occur”.

Kurz said Malaysia’s decision to disallow Israeli swimmers to participate in the tournament is “unacceptable”.

“In the aftermath of the meeting, the chancellor told Austrian journalists that when it comes to Israel and anti-Semitism, he and his counterpart are of ‘completely contrary opinions’ and that any form of anti-Semitism in Malaysia and anywhere else is ‘unacceptable’,” said Austrian government spokesman Peter Launsky-Tieffenthal.

Dr Mahathir, now 93 and in his second stint as prime minister, has, in the past, attracted criticism for verbal attacks on Jews.

Last week, he denied accusations of anti-Semitism, saying: “It is my right to tell them they have been doing a lot of wrong things. Why can’t we say anything against Israel, against the Jews?”

Today, he branded Israel “a criminal country”, adding: “If their people want to compete in sports, they can go to some other country.”

Israel has called on the International Paralympic Committee to challenge the decision or change the venue of the competition.

Kuala Lumpur, which has no formal diplomatic ties with Israel, has rejected pleas from the world sporting body to find a solution to the row.

Malaysia has stopped Israeli athletes from competing in a sports event before. Two Israeli windsurfers had to pull out of a competition in Langkawi after they were refused visas in 2015. – January 22, 2019.