The jeering of the captain of the Israeli national team throughout the first half was given wide coverage in the international media, including British tabloid the Daily Mirror and wire services, embarrassing Malaysia, which has tried to project an image of being a moderate Muslim nation.
Malaysia also risks sanctions from the sport’s governing body Fifa, which has clamped down hard on racist behaviour from fans.
Datuk Seri Najib Razak has crossed the globe since taking office two years ago, most recently to London and the Vatican City — only the second prime minister of Malaysia to visit the leadership of the Catholic church.
The Umno president has also harped on the need for members and leaders of the world’s major faiths to censure and reject their own extremists and jointly support a “global movement of moderates”.
However, Muslim-majority Malaysia is an ardent supporter of Palestine and has no diplomatic ties with Israel.
Muslim politicians have long vied for support from Malays by denouncing what they say is inhumane aggression from Israel towards its neighbour.
Last night’s episode comes on the back of recent damage to the Najib administration over the July 9 Bersih rally, which influential foreign media such as the Wall Street Journal, the Economist and the Al-Jazeera television channel criticised, for the government’s crackdown on the tens of thousands who gathered to call for electoral reforms.
Users of social media sites such as Twitter — including Malaysians themselves — also criticised the booing of Benayoun throughout the first half before he was substituted at the break.
He missed a glorious chance in front of goal to silence the abuse from the crowd of some 80,000 Malaysians on the stroke of half-time.
