IT has dawned on the world that the American ban of TikTok, the insanely popular Chinese app, was not to stop China's infiltration of America's national security. It was far more sinister.
Goaded by Israel, the United States instituted the ban after realising that they cannot control TikTok's huge amalgamation of popular pro-Palestinian voices and causes.
TikTok commands 1.9 billion users globally, 170 million actively in America as it steadily catches up to Facebook's 3.06 billion and YouTube's 2.7 billion users. Israel's spinmeisters lost the information wars to TikTok's pro-Palestine conclave, festooned by a bulwark of American youngsters.
Instead of stating outright that it was dousing TikTok's pro-Palestine rage, Israel lobbied selected American political establishments and representations to impose the ban — until the ruse was debunked.
Never mind that ByteDance, the Chinese behemoth running TikTok, dismissed accusations that its app was a covert Chinese operation at last year's US Congressional showdown.
ByteDance insisted that it is not TikTok's algorithm that swayed the youngsters: it is the youngsters' natural engagement that was lopsidedly pro-Palestine. Infuriating to Israel were American TikTokers' sound historical perspectives on Israel's 80-year illegal occupation of Palestine, viralled with videos of heavy bombing in Gaza using American artillery.
Considering that Israel's reputed disinformation and misdirection expertise were upended by supposedly "know-nothing" Gen Z youngsters, it is laughably ironic. US President Donald Trump, sniffing an exploitative deal, unconscionably sought to overturn the ban, reversing his predecessor's Israeli sycophancy, provided that 50 per cent of TikTok's American stake is sold to American interest.
But Trump's handling of Israeli's belligerence is as bipolar as his actions: he conversely maintained military arms supply to Israel. Parallel to Israel's interests, the broken ruse was to neutralise China's ascending technological supremacy as American tech titans fear losing their competitive edge to Chinese companies on technology, costs and smarts.
In this backdrop of desperate intrigue, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim renewed Malaysia's commitment to Palestine, this time in reconstructing hospitals, schools and mosques, with Japan's collaboration, to set up a Gaza fund under the East Asia initiative. This joint enterprise lives up to Malaysia's penchant for global altruism and its pro-Palestinian position.
However, the prospects of re-entering Gaza during a brittle ceasefire are risky, knowing that Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu, with a corruption conviction imminent, will capitalise on his premiership to reignite hideous bombings and bloody skirmishes on the flimsy pretext that the other side violated the ceasefire.
That's why Hamas' Oct 7, 2023 attacks and hostage-taking was a boon to Netanyahu's machinations although most Israelis strongly believed that he conspired the atrocities for political survival.
With Japan's alliance, Malaysia will be prudent, practical and cautious in negotiating this mazy and treacherous cauldron, realising that they could spark American wrath and be upended by bombings once reconstruction begins.
But like all conscientious nations, Malaysia must help Gaza, for this is a fundamental humanitarian vestige to save tyrannised Palestinians.
