KUALA LUMPUR: Former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak has reshared a post explaining his encounter with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a photo of the chance meeting makes its rounds on social media again.
In the post, Najib lamented that his critics labelled him as being a "zionist" because of the 2015 encounter.
He said his critics seemed to ignore photos of him and other Asian leaders visiting Gaza or that of the Al-Aqsa Mosque Imam visiting him in Malaysia.
"The photos of me being conferred an honourary doctorate from Al-Aqsa University in Khan Unis in the south of Gaza are not seen," he said, adding photos of him speaking against Israel's aggression at the United Nations were also ignored.
"I keep seeing (critics sharing) the same photo. Labelling me as a zionist even though I explained in 2015."
Najib said he did not plan to meet Netanyahu but ran into him at the United Nations as the Israeli prime minister gave a speech before he did.
"He greeted me and I returned the greeting. There was no meeting but a chance encounter," he said adding this could be confirmed by Malaysian officials present at the time.
"Surely I cannot be expected to bash him at the United Nations' headquarters when he greeted me and shouted at him 'Mak kau hijau'?"