Hamas calls on Muslim nations, Palestinian supporters to continue boycott of Israel and its backers

Palestinian resistance movement Hamas has called on Muslim countries to continue the economic and political boycott of the Israeli state and its backers, saying a global campaign had so far achieved "significant accomplishments in undermining the entity's economy, isolating it, and delegitimising it".

In a statement issued early today, Hamas said it fully supports the boycott efforts as part of a "comprehensive resistance against the Zionist enemy".

"Hamas also confirms that this is its firm and strategic position, and it has not changed, particularly in light of this brutal aggression against our people and the daily massacres committed against our people in the Gaza Strip.

"We call upon the peoples of our Arab and Islamic nations and the free people of the world to support all efforts leading to boycotting and isolating the entity and its backers," the statement reads.

Since Israel's bombardment of the Gaza Strip last October, products and companies seen as strengthening the Israeli economy and war machine have been the target of a worldwide boycott campaign.

Among groups leading the campaign is Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS), an international movement that organises the boycott of companies, brands and academic institutions that allegedly fund and support the Israeli regime, directly and indirectly.

Hamas' latest call to Muslim countries came amid a storm in Malaysia, where Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has resisted pressure on his government to cancel a deal that would see a company owned by controversial US fund manager BlackRock become part of a consortium to manage the country's airports.

In his speech at the Dewan Rakyat yesterday, Anwar also said it was not realistic for his government to sever ties with companies that do business with Israel.

He also claimed that even Hamas had no objections to his stance.

"It sounds good, it's nice for people to hear that we are great fighters. But it's not realistic.

"I have spoken to the leadership of Hamas, the question does not arise. It's like being more Hamas than Hamas," he said.

In response, Perikatan Nasional's Machang MP Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad said Anwar had not only failed to convince Malaysians of the need for a foreign partner to run Malaysia Airports Holdings (MAHB), but his answers to critics were also misleading.

"For example, he said he had contacted the Hamas leadership and painted a picture as if Hamas leaders had no problem doing business with BlackRock by owning the country's strategic assets. I don't understand why the prime minister has to resort to this kind of name-dropping," he said.

Under the deal announced last month, BlackRock-owned Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) will take a 30% stake in MAHB, alongside the government's investment arm Khazanah Nasional and the Employees Provident Fund (EPF), both entities under the jurisdiction of the finance ministry led by Anwar.

The move sparked protests from civil society leaders and pro-Palestinian groups who demanded the government to cancel the deal in view of allegations of BlackRock's complicity in Israel's genocidal campaign in Gaza, which has so far killed at least 35,000 people.

Last week, a group of United Nations experts in a joint statement named BlackRock alongside dozens of companies, arms manufacturers and financial institutions, warning them against supplying arms to Israel as they would be complicit in war crimes and genocide.

“These companies, by sending weapons, parts, components, and ammunition to Israeli forces, risk being complicit in serious violations of international human rights and international humanitarian laws,” said more than 30 experts and special rapporteurs led by Robert McCorquodale, a member of the UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights.

The BlackRock issue has emerged as one of Anwar's greatest challenges since his appointment to the top post,and comes against a backdrop of a perception that he is more friendly with the US and Israel, with critics citing past statements including his interview with the Wall Street Journal in 2012 which quoted him as saying that he would "support all efforts to protect the security of the state of Israel".