Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said – today, Wednesday – that his country will immediately prevent the Israeli shipping company “Zim” from docking in its ports. He added in a statement, “This ban is a response to Israel’s actions that violate basic humanitarian principles and international laws,” referring to its aggression against the Gaza Strip that has been ongoing for 75 days.
In a statement issued today, Ibrahim explained that ships heading to Israel will also be prohibited from loading goods at any port in his country, and he specifically mentioned “Zim”, which is the largest Israeli shipping company. He added that his country is confident that its trade will not be affected by the decision.
It is noteworthy that the Malaysian government had authorized ZIM to dock its ships in Malaysian ports in 2002.
Malaysia, which has a Muslim majority and is located in Southeast Asia, does not have diplomatic relations with Israel. The largely symbolic move signals frustration about the war in Gaza. Kuala Lumpur has often criticized Tel Aviv and supported the Palestinians.
The Malaysian move adds to a series of obstacles facing Israeli maritime trade. Since last November 19, the Yemeni Houthi group announced preventing any Israeli ship or other carrying Israeli goods from passing through the Bab al-Mandab Strait (the gateway to the Red Sea from the south).
The Danish shipping group, IP Moller-Maersk, had decided to impose additional risk fees on container shipments to Israel to cover the increased insurance premiums due to the security situation, starting from the beginning of next year.
