Mossad Allegedly Behind Kidnapping Incident in Malaysia

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Facts

  • Malaysia's New Straits Times broke a story on Monday suggesting that Israel's national intelligence agency, Mossad, recruited a group of Malaysians to abduct two Palestinian men they believed to be assets of the Hamas's al-Qassam Brigade.
  • The Malaysian team intercepted the two Palestinians on Sept. 28, when the duo, both computer programming experts, were shuttled inside one of two vehicles by four men.
  • The team only abducted one of the Palestinian men, telling the other to keep away; the other man escaped and contacted the Malaysian police. The abducted man was reportedly beaten and then interrogated by suspected Israelis via a video call.
  • The police, after tracing the team's vehicle, determined where the captive was being held and raided the location, freeing him and putting the alleged operatives into custody.
  • Sources suggested that the Malaysian team trained in Europe to carry out the mission. Sources reported that Mossad allegedly recruited a cell of at least 11 Malaysians to find Palestinian activists.
  • Mossad has allegedly conducted multiple targeted assassinations against individuals accused of being associated with Hamas over the past years. Fadi Mohammad al-Batsh, a Palestinian engineer and Hamas member, was shot and killed outside a Kuala Lumpur mosque in 2018.

Sources: Middle East Eye, Al Jazeera, and Jerusalem Post.

Narratives

  • Pro-Palestine, as provided by Al Jazeera. This incident is just another example of how Israel violates international rules and norms to pursue its supposed "interests." Malaysia is a sovereign country, and Israel has no right to launch operations against its perceived enemies. Israel must be held accountable for its reckless behavior.
  • Pro-Israel, as provided by Jerusalem Post. Malaysia, though officially not an enemy state of Israel, does not recognize Tel Aviv, and money from Malaysian charities has been funneled to Hamas in the past. It's well known that Hamas has a strong presence in Malaysia, and Israel has been quite clear that it will target Hamas terrorists anywhere worldwide. There can be no haven for terrorists or their supporters.