I said 'yes' in the context of Israel's UN membership, says Anwar defending answers in CNN interview

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim today defended his answers in a recent interview with CNN, for which he was widely criticised for agreeing to a suggestion that Israel has the right to exist and defend itself.

Anwar said his answers to the two questions posed by CNN's Richard Quest were given in the context of Israel's de facto membership in the United Nations.

"In the context of membership in the United Nations, it is considered a right to statehood. Therefore, it is considered de facto. But we do not recognise Israel, from the beginning, since the time of Tunku Abdul Rahman, we have not recognised Israel until today. So there is a difference between de facto recognition, to which I answered 'yes'. And if we recognise it as 'de facto', any country that is recognised cannot be attacked," Anwar told the Dewan Rakyat when the issue was raised by MPs today.

"That's why I say that any country that is de facto recognised can defend itself. If you listen to (the interview), I attacked Israel outright. I do not know what else I can do."

Anwar was panned by pro-Palestinian activists and the opposition for his answers in the interview with CNN host Richard Quest.

In the interview, Anwar criticised the Western media for spreading a one-sided narrative that ignores the occupation of Palestinian territories, before Quest interrupted him with two propositions.

Quest: But you would accept a) Israel's right to exist.
Anwar: Yes, yes.
Quest: And b) Israel's right to defend itself.
Anwar: Yes.

Anwar has since accused critics of distorting his words and there have been calls for him to issue a correction if his answers did not mean that he recognised Israel's existence and its right to defend itself.

'We will support if you admit mistakes'

Following his explanation today, opposition leader Hamzah Zainuddin said he understood if the prime minister had been exhausted during the interview, which could have led him to make mistakes.

Hamzah said the opposition would relent if Anwar admitted that his answers were a mistake.

"It's very simple. If you say, 'Yes, I was wrong about that but believe me that I will continue to defend Palestine,' then we will stand by you," he said.

Anwar then reiterated that his answers were in the context of the UN principle of recognising a member state's right to self-defence.

"He asked whether there is a right to exist in the context of the state of Israel. Secondly, on (self-)defence. Based on the principles of the UN Charter, any country that is attacked can defend itself, that is the context.

"For me, this was taken out of context to score political points. I have already explained it, that's enough."

Earlier, Malaysians on social media reacted angrily to Anwar's answers in the interview, a five-minute clip of which was posted by Quest on his X account.

This prompted Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil to warn of action using the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission, the internet regulator behind a series of website blocks and censorship of content critical of the government.

Critics say Anwar not only contradicted the Malaysian government's policy of not recognising the Zionist state, and many recalled a controversial statement he made more than a decade ago to " support all efforts to protect the security of the state of Israel".

A prominent Palestinian academic based in London also expressed surprise at Anwar's stance, adding that he could have responded differently to such questions.

"The correct answer to the first question would be the following: 'Are you asking me to recognise the legitimacy of a colonial entity built on land stolen from the Palestinian people? Are you asking me to recognise the legitimacy of a state that emerged from genocide?" Azzam Tamimi, an expert on the Palestinian conflict who has written a book on the history of Hamas, told MalaysiaNow.

"The the correct answer to the second question is: 'Who has the right to self-defence, the aggressor or the victim of aggression?" he added.