U.S. Summons Malaysian Ambassador Over Israel Policy

The U.S. State Department summoned Malaysia's ambassador to explain the country's policy on Israel. This came after the digital nomad community Network School faced scrutiny for including Israeli participants. Malaysia's policy does not recognize Israel, which led to tensions and potential shifts in U.S.-Malaysia relations.

The U.S. State Department has called upon Malaysia's ambassador to the United States to provide clarity on Kuala Lumpur's stance regarding Israel, as reported by state media citing the foreign minister.

The Malaysian Foreign Minister, Mohamad Hasan, reiterated to the State Department that Malaysia has maintained a longstanding policy of not recognizing Israel, a position that remains unchanged. The policy includes immigration measures that do not recognize individuals with dual U.S. and Israeli citizenship, leading to the prompt expulsion of one such individual recently. The situation escalated following scrutiny of the Network School, a digital nomad community founded in Malaysia by U.S. investor Balaji Srinivasan, which was alleged to include Israeli participants.

The incident prompted eight U.S. congressmen to demand Secretary of State Marco Rubio reassess security and economic connections with Malaysia. They also recommended halting the International Military Education and Training program for Malaysia unless a policy reversal occurs within 15 days.