Don’t confuse Jews with Zionism

Last week, our prime minister was photographed shaking the hand of the prime minister of another country.

In a normal world, it would be seen as a basic gesture of common social courtesy, extended between friends, or even enemies.

But only in Malaysia can a simple gesture like a handshake be taken up to a whole new level of conspiracy theory and propaganda. Why? Because Datuk Seri Najib Razak shook the hand of Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli PM.

He might as well have shaken Satan’s hand, the repercussions would have probably been less severe.

Israel and Jews, alongside the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community, communists, the United States, and the occasional inclusion of Chinese and Christians, have after all become a punching bag of sorts for Malaysian politicians whenever they run out of things to talk about.

Things like workers’ rights, or the economy or the environment, no longer have the political relevance they used to. I suppose “die Israel!” makes for an easier, catchier slogan than “Indonesia, please do something about the open burning in Sumatra!”

The Jews actually have had a long history in Malaysia, particularly in the Straits Settlement States of Malacca and Penang.

There was, up until recently, a road named after the Jews in Penang – Jahudi Road (since renamed Jalan Zainal Abidin) that houses a Jewish cemetery. The last burial at that cemetery was as recent as 2011.There was even a synagogue, the building that housed it still standing, which remained active until 1978.

Israel was supportive of the newly formed Malaysian state. In 1956, our founding father, Tunku Abdul Rahman hosted Moshe Sharett, the Israeli prime minister.

A year later, the government of Israel supported Malaysia’s application to join the United Nations.

Jews played a part in Malaysia’s history, too. David Marshall, who was instrumental in forming Malaysian-Singaporean ties in the early days of Singapore, as well as in the Baling negotiations that ended the communist threat in Malaysia, was in fact, a Jew.

We still trade with Israel, another fact politicians sometimes like to bring up. What’s wrong with trading with Israel?

They have a vibrant economy. Their Intel plant in Kiryat Gat imports chips made in Malaysia, at one point in time, trade from this alone was almost RM3 billion. Israel has a high level of technological capabilities in science, defence and communication.

Sadly though, because of the seemingly growing anti-Israeli sentiment, this cannot be tapped fully into, at the risk of political rejection. Most of our trade with Israel has to go through third countries, which, of course, profit from it.

Even sadder, the growth of the sentiment itself, can largely be traced to political posturing itself. The danger is when different issues are lumped together and coupled with some form of empowered action. Often the action doesn’t really damage the party intended, rather more self-harm is inflicted in the process.

It doesn’t really matter if McDonald’s or Starbucks is Jewish, as long as people believe it, that’s good enough.

Anything Jewish, Israeli here nowadays, appear to be taboo, save perhaps for Gil Gadot or Natalie Portman. We cannot ban movies over some Jews, we’d have to stop watching Hollywood!

It’s one thing to hate Zionism, but quite another to hate Jews. One is an ideology that people can choose to believe it or not.

The other is something that you really cannot help being born into. In similar vein, we hate Nazis, not Germans. Apart from Jewish Zionism, there’s also Christian Zionism and even Hindu Zionism. Even among Zionists, there are many types – Green Zionists, Nationalist Zionists. Not all Zionist ideology is evil, but we have been conditioned to think so.

We should oppose all and every injustice we encounter against our fellow men, Palestinian or otherwise. We should and must stand up against the wrongdoers, Israeli or not.

But to resort to hate an entire people over the actions of some would not be quite right either. Would we not then be, what we accuse them of being – racists? – October 6, 2015.

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider.