PAS has condemned Putrajaya’s move to allow Israeli diplomats to enter Malaysia during the World Urban Forum (WUF) held from February 7 until yesterday.

PAS vice-president Mohamad Amar Nik Abdullah said the Islamist party will issue an official statement soon to protest against Putrajaya’s decision.

“This is Umno’s two-faced attitude,” the Kelantan deputy menteri besar told The Malaysian Insight.

Ties between the Islamist party and Umno and PAS are improving after the latter chose not to join the opposition pact Pakatan Harapan after Pakatan Rakyat was dissolved in 2015.

In December, Umno held a “Save Jerusalem” solidarity rally in Putrajaya where senior PAS leaders were present.

The rally began with a special forum before Friday prayers and Palestine’s ambassador to Malaysia Dr Anwar H. al Agha was a participant.

The Times of Israel reported that the country’s Foreign Ministry confirmed its diplomats were allowed into Kuala Lumpur to attend the conference.

Israel’s foreign ministry spokesman Emmanuel Nahshon said the diplomats attended WUF for a week in Kuala Lumpur.

According to the report, the country’s delegation was led by Israel’s deputy diplomat to the United Nations David Roet. The delegation joined a forum on the United Nations’ human settlements programme or UN-Habitat.

Malaysia has no diplomatic ties with Israel and does not recognise its existence since its formation in 1948 and has always supported the Palestinians’ fight for an independent state.

A few civil society groups questioned Putrajaya’s move to allow several Israeli diplomats into the country for the forum.

But this is not the first time an Israel delegation has entered Malaysia legally.

In 1997, a cricket team from the Jewish state took part in an international cricket tournament in the capital city, which was participated by 22 countries.

The decision to invite Israel was met with anger and protest by several Muslim groups.

In dismissing the protests, then deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim said that sports are “apolitical” and mixing politics with sports was wrong.

Then prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad had also justified the entry of the Israeli team by saying it was intended to show the Israelis that people of different religions can live in peace.

“We hope this will at least influence them (Israel) as we know some Israelis have demonstrated against Benjamin Netanyahu,” he said. – February 15, 2018.