Press Release from BDS Malaysia

Trump’s Visit To Malaysia Does Not Aid The Cause Of Palestine

BDS Malaysia observes the ongoing debate about the purported benefits to Malaysia from hosting President Trump’s visit.

Our focus remains on the impact of his visit on justice, freedom, and equality for Palestinians in their homeland.

It is essential to recognise that the US has been the primary provider of diplomatic cover and supplier of weapons to Israel, enabling it to commit atrocities against Palestinians for decades, including the ongoing genocide in Gaza.

President Trump did not in any significant way alter this policy. Instead, he has strengthened US support for Israel since becoming president, both in his first and current second term. The following points serve as evidence for our position.

1. Trump, on 25 January 2025, reversed Joe Biden’s decision to halt the transfer of weapons to Israel. Specifically, Trump approved the delivery of 2,000-pound bombs, undoing the suspension Biden had instituted. The decision marked a significant policy shift regarding military aid to Israel, with Trump’s action indicating a more supportive stance than his predecessor’s temporary pause.
2. Trump vetoed the UNSC Gaza ceasefire resolution in June 2025 that could have stopped the genocide. The US was the only country to vote against the resolution.
3. Trump ended crucial funding to the UNRWA – United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, which is a lifeline for millions of Palestinians, thus worsening an already dire humanitarian crisis.
4. The Trump administration has imposed sanctions on the ICC prosecutor, deputy prosecutors, and judges following the ICC decision to charge Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant with crimes against humanity for their roles in the genocide in Gaza.
5. Trump also imposed sanctions on Francesca Albanese, the UN Human Rights Council’s special rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories, because of her reports that highlight Israeli crimes of genocide in Palestine.
6. Trump, during his first administration, supported Israeli settlements by stating that Israeli settlements in the West Bank are not inconsistent with international law. Even now, he has not condemned the expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank.
7. Trump unilaterally recognised Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and relocated the U.S. embassy there, undermining a final-status issue and contravening international consensus.
    
   The Prime Minister of Malaysia defended his decision to invite Trump by claiming that he raised the issue of Palestine when he met Trump and had told the latter to ensure there is a comprehensive solution’ to the conflict in Gaza. However, he did not elaborate on what he meant by acomprehensive solution’, beyond his full support for Trump’s 20-point peace plan, which he praised and expressed hope would be fully implemented. Unfortunately, as many experts on Palestine have pointed out, Trump’s peace plan is grossly unfair to Palestinians and lacks a crucial element – Palestinian self-determination.
    
   Since Malaysia supports the two-state solution, the comprehensive solution mentioned by the prime minister would therefore involve implementing that plan. Unfortunately, this is a futile recommendation because it would allow Israel more time to build settlements in the West Bank, which, as previously highlighted (see point 6 above), is an action that Donald Trump himself supports.
    
   Furthermore, since the 1994 Oslo Accords, which centre on the two-state solution, Israel has not only undermined it but has also repeatedly and publicly stated that it will never permit a Palestinian state to exist.
    
   BDS Malaysia, therefore, urges the Malaysian government to do more than merely reiterate the mantra of the two-state solution’ andcomprehensive solution’. It must step up efforts to appeal to the international community, especially the United States, to isolate Israel.

In addition, the government should cease business dealings with companies complicit with Israel, including those from the US, such as Caterpillar, Amazon Web Services, Microsoft, Boeing and Google, until Israel fulfils the following three demands:
 

1. End the occupation: The BDS movement demands an end to Israel’s occupation and colonization of all Arab lands occupied in 1967 and the dismantling of the separation barrier.
2. Achieve full equality: It calls for the recognition of the fundamental rights of Palestinian citizens of Israel to full civil equality.
3. Acknowledge the right of return: It demands the respect, protection, and promotion of the rights of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes and properties, as stipulated in UN Resolution 194.
    
    
   Only by taking these steps will Malaysians be convinced that the government is genuinely committed to stopping the ongoing grave injustice inflicted upon the Palestinians.
    
   BDS Malaysia
   31 October 2025