Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on Wednesday vowed to maintain the Southeast Asian nation's policy of denying entry to Israeli nationals.
Anwar said Kuala Lumpur was guided by its commitment to defending the rights of the people and opposing the "oppression, aggression and continued killing" of Palestinians in Gaza, state-run news agency Bernama reported.
He emphasized that the policy was not new, saying it had been in place for decades and "should already be well known to the United States."
"Several members of the US Congress have criticized me over Malaysia's decision to bar Israeli nationals from entering the country and from participating in companies and related activities," Anwar said.
"That will not deter us. They may issue threats, but I will firmly defend the rights of the Malaysian people and uphold the government's decision to continue prohibiting the entry of any Israeli national into Malaysia," he added.
Eight Democratic US representatives have sent a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio earlier this week expressing dissatisfaction with Malaysia's plan to deport Israeli citizens found in the country.
Malaysian Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan on Thursday said that a dual US-Israeli citizen had entered Malaysia using a US passport but was asked to leave after checks revealed his Israeli citizenship.
The US lawmakers called on the State Department to "clarify what steps it is taking in response" and urged it to suspend International Military Education and Training funding to Malaysia if the policy is not reversed.
"How can elected representatives in that country (US) remain silent over the killing of children, civilians and women, the destruction of homes and the occupation of land?" Anwar questioned.
"Malaysia is an independent nation. Even if those making such statements are not free to speak out, we are free to express our views," said the 78-year-old Malaysian academic-turned premier, who previously taught at the US-based Georgetown University.
He added that this matter should not affect bilateral ties with Washington.
Hasan said Malaysia's ambassador to Washington explained Kuala Lumpur's position to the US State Department.
Malaysia's immigration policy does not recognize "the State of Israel or the Zionist regime," he said.
