SYDNEY: Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad’s contention that Jews “rule this world by proxy” getting “others to fight and die for them” has cannoned down the world’s corridors of power.

Mahathir, who resigns at the end of this month after 22 years in the job, has been censured by the European Union, the United States, Israel and Australia.

Prime Minister John Howard, breaking a longstanding habit of not commenting on blasts from the iconoclastic and combative Mahathir, joined in a chorus accusing the Malaysian prime minister of trying to drive a wedge between Jews and Muslims.

“It’s offensive,” Howard said. “Let me make it clear: any invocation of rivalry between Jews and Muslims is unhelpful.”

As with their elected leaders, so with most Australians: Mahathir’s tirade was declared out of order in letters to the press and in calls to talk radio.

A sampling of letters from The Australian, the country’s only national daily, reveals that Mahathir has struck a nerve.

“Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s rhetoric reeks of the same paranoia and victim complex that pervades much of the Muslim world,” wrote Doron Berger. “His hateful and divisive words will inspire intolerance.”

Others praised the feisty Mahathir’s candour, his willingness to say out loud what others think in silence.

“There is one thing to be said for Dr Mahathir’s shamefully anti-Semitic comments,” wrote Jason Stokes. “He has said publicly what many leaders in the Muslim world believe privately.”

But not all were outraged by what the 77-year-old leader told a gathering of Muslim political leaders in Putrajaya. Some saw wisdom in last week’s rhetoric. Others urged a closer reading of his actual words.

“Let’s not rush to condemn Mahathir,” wrote Chris Strakosch. “He said only what was obvious. A few million Jews have made enormous contributions to modern society, while the 1.3 billion Muslims, the glory of the world 1,000 years ago, have done almost nothing.”

Some, like Jessica Gosnell, blamed the press for focusing on the most controversial sections of Mahathir’s speech.

“He is calling on Muslims to desist from bloodshed as it achieves nothing except more hatred. He also exhorts Muslims to get back to the true faith and become, as before, great scientists, scholars, physicians and astronomers. We should be extolling his message, not misinterpreting his words,” she wrote.—dpa