Pro-Israeli group's attack: Anwar blames Apco

By Rahmah Ghazali - Free Malaysia Today

FMT ALERT KUALA LUMPUR: Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim today accused international firm Apco Worldwide of influencing the pro-Israeli group Binai B'rith to attack him.

"Apco is very influential, it even got the oldest Jewish body to attack me personally and punish me. The organisation even labelled me as their enemy," he told some 100 supporters who attended a roundtable talk titled 'Peace and Justice for Gaza' here.

In a letter dated May 25 to US Foreign Relations Senate Committee president John F Kerry, B'nai B'rith accused Anwar of inciting hatred towards Israel and Zionist-Jews. [read story here]

The group urged the US to sever ties with Anwar.

Binai B'rith had also expressed concern over the opposition leader's statements in Parliament in April when he linked Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak to Apco, a global image consultant.

The group also took offence with Anwar’s speech, where he claimed that Israeli agents had infiltrated the Bukit Aman police headquarters.

According to Anwar, Apco also submitted an "official report" to International Crisis Group (ICG), an organisation that the opposition leader is involved with, to create the impression that he is anti-Jewish and anti-semitic.

"I expected the attack. Apco even sent an official report to ICG to say I am anti-Jewish," he said.

During the roundtable talk, Anwar also lambasted US president Barack Obama as a “weak” leader.

"Obama is weak. He only said that he 'regretted' the attack (on the Gaza aid flotilla) when we actually need action (from him)," he said.