The regional row over a proposal to relocate Australia’s Israeli embassy to Jerusalem has escalated with Scott Morrison backing a spray by his deputy Josh Frydenberg at Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad for warning the move could increase the terrorism risk.
Mr Frydenberg, who is Jewish and who backs the embassy relocation, dismissed Dr Mahathir’s views as those of somebody with “form” regarding Jewish people.
“The Malaysian [Prime Minister] has called Jews hook-nosed people. He has questioned the number of people that have been killed in the Holocaust,” Mr Frydenberg said.
“He banned Schindler’s List as a movie being shown, though it showed the amazing story of a righteous gentile who saved many people from persecution.”
Mr Morrison backed his deputy, saying he was “filling in the history of [Dr Mahathir’s] record on various issues over time”.
“I think those issues are well known and his contribution to the public record on those topics are well known.”
Mr Morrison also pushed back at the 93-year-old leader whom he met the day before in Singapore and described as “the elder of ASEAN”.
“Make no mistake. I will not have our policy dictated by those outside the country,” he said.
“I respect and listen to their views and have in the last few days, but Australia determines Australia’s foreign policy.”
Read the article by Phillip Coorey in the Australian Financial Review.