Malaysian PM defends Hamas, condemns West 'hypocrisy' | DW News

Malaysia's Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has spoken out about what he called Western "hypocrisy" over the war in Gaza compared to attitudes to Ukraine. Speaking to DW's Richard Walker in Berlin, Anwar slammed Western countries such as Germany for in his view failing to use their influence to make Israel halt the fighting. He argued that Hamas's unprecedented terror attacks of October 7th 2023 were "understandable" in the context of the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians.

This extensive interview explores the deepening divisions in global attitudes to the Middle East Conflict. The West broadly rallied to Israel's side after Hamas killed more than 1,000 people and kidnapped hundreds on October 7th. But as casualties in Gaza have mounted even higher, that unity has fractured, and many in the Global South have voiced anger over perceptions that the West is indifferent to civilian suffering on the Palestinian side. Anwar Ibrahim expresses this anger – and goes on to set out why he believes in improving relations with Iran despite its repressive regime, and why he opposes "phobia" towards China. And finally he gives his reflections on his more than 10 years behind bars in Malaysian jails.

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