Donald Trump’s brazen proposal to expel more than 2 million Palestinians from Gaza and morph the war-torn territory into the “Riviera of the Middle East” has ignited a firestorm of outrage in Malaysia, Asia’s most vocal advocate for the Palestinian cause.
First to condemn the plan was the Malaysian chapter of the influential Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions Movement against Israel, calling Trump’s idea “shockingly ill-conceived” and one that “belongs in the dustbin”.
Since the outbreak of war in Gaza more than 500 days ago, the movement has spearheaded a boycott campaign that resonated deeply with the Malaysian public, dealing a major blow to Western brands perceived as having ties to Israel including Starbucks, McDonald’s and KFC.
For many in the Muslim-majority nation that has long supported the Palestinian cause, Trump’s announcement completely undercut the fragile ceasefire deal with Hamas that he had loudly claimed credit for.
Why would he even suggest a takeover of a land that the US or Israel has no right over?
Malaysian accountant Nor Aida Yassin expressed disbelief, saying the Gaza plan “tops the list” of the bizarre and contentious things the US president has said in his first weeks back in office.