Malaysian PM Mahathir Mohamad's government on Wednesday "defended its hardline anti-Israel stance" as it declared it "would not budge on banning Israeli athletes from an upcoming Paralympics swimming qualifier despite facing criticism for that stance," according to Tashny Sukumaran of the SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST. Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah, met in his ministry by local groups lobbying for the Israeli athletes’ ban, said that the government "would refrain from hosting events featuring Israeli participants in the future." The minister said that the decision -- made by cabinet last week -- was premised upon "humanitarian reasons" and was about "fighting on behalf of the oppressed." Media reports this week quoted the Int'l Paralympic Committee criticizing the Southeast Asian country’s "strict stance" on not admitting Israeli athletes, though the organization said that it was "holding out hope for a solution." The event, the World Para Swimming Championships, is to be held in July and is a qualifying event for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics (SCMP, 1/16).
