SINGAPORE: Israel's ambassador to Singapore met Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam last week when he apologised for a Facebook post on Palestine that the embassy published in March.
Ambassador Eliyahu Vered Hazan said it was wrong for the post to have been put up, that it was not authorised by him, and that the officer responsible will be sent back, Mr Shanmugam said on Wednesday (May 8).
"And he said that this will never happen again," Mr Shanmugam told parliament.
The minister was responding to a question by Member of Parliament Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim (PAP-Chua Chu Kang), who asked whether further steps would be taken in this matter and whether the person responsible would enjoy diplomatic immunity.
On Mar 24, the official Facebook account of Israel's embassy in Singapore published a post containing claims comparing mentions of Israel and Palestine in the Quran.
The post said: "Israel is mentioned 43 times in the Quran. On the other hand, Palestine is not mentioned even once.
"Each and every archaeological evidence – maps, documents, coins, link the land of Israel to the Jewish people as the indigenous people of the land."
The post was deleted later that same day. Singapore's Ministry of Home Affairs had informed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which told Israel's embassy that the post had to be taken down immediately.
The minister said that the police received a report on the post, and assessed in consultation with the Attorney-General's Chambers that "no further action was to be taken".
"The Israeli embassy's actions are covered by the principle of sovereign immunity," Mr Shanmugam said on Wednesday.
According to the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, diplomats are immune from criminal jurisdiction in their host country, although immunity can be waived by the diplomat's state.
The meeting with Mr Shanmugam was requested by Israel's ambassador. The minister said: "I pointed out to him that embassies are entitled to have their point of view.
"But where what has been said affects Singapore, in this case the harmony and safety within Singapore, especially the security as well of our minority communities, we have to step in."
Mr Shanmugam also provided an update on reports of alleged offensive remarks or actions against the Jewish or Muslim communities in Singapore.
Between Oct 7, 2023 and Mar 31, 2024, the police received 43 such reports, he said. A previous update stated that the police received eight such reports in October 2023.
Describing the conflict in the Middle East as "emotionally charged", Mr Shanmugam said deeply held feelings can result in words or actions that offend other communities.
Divides can be seen especially between Singapore's Malay-Muslim community on the one hand, and the Jewish and Christian communities on the other.
Mr Shanmugam said the government will intervene against acts that can affect social harmony. He also said that overseas protests about the conflict have often turned violent.
"They may start off well-intentioned, led by honest, idealistic people," he said. "Often, there is a group which has legitimate aims, wants to be peaceful.
"But there are often others who use these events where people gather to then engineer violence and put the police on the defensive, and try and egg the police on to try and engage in forcibly preventing acts of violence, and then it escalates."
He continued: "Our own view is that if we allow protests on this issue, initially it may be peaceful, but over time, as the protests take a life of their own, there could be some violence, breach of the peace and law, occupying of buildings."
Individuals who engage in offensive or violent conduct are "a very small minority" in Singapore, he acknowledged.
"Even where views on the conflict have differed, people in Singapore have been relatively measured and rational in the way we have approached the issues," the minister said.
He added that the government will work to build mutual trust and understanding across Singapore's ethnic and religious communities, at the leadership and people-to-people levels.
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Ambassador Eliyahu Vered Hazan said it was wrong for the post to have been put up, that it was not authorised by him, and that the officer responsible will be sent back, Mr Shanmugam said on Wednesday (May 8).
"And he said that this will never happen again," Mr Shanmugam told parliament.
The minister was responding to a question by Member of Parliament Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim (PAP-Chua Chu Kang), who asked whether further steps would be taken in this matter and whether the person responsible would enjoy diplomatic immunity.
On Mar 24, the official Facebook account of Israel's embassy in Singapore published a post containing claims comparing mentions of Israel and Palestine in the Quran.
The post said: "Israel is mentioned 43 times in the Quran. On the other hand, Palestine is not mentioned even once.
"Each and every archaeological evidence – maps, documents, coins, link the land of Israel to the Jewish people as the indigenous people of the land."
The post was deleted later that same day. Singapore's Ministry of Home Affairs had informed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which told Israel's embassy that the post had to be taken down immediately.
The minister said that the police received a report on the post, and assessed in consultation with the Attorney-General's Chambers that "no further action was to be taken".
"The Israeli embassy's actions are covered by the principle of sovereign immunity," Mr Shanmugam said on Wednesday.
According to the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, diplomats are immune from criminal jurisdiction in their host country, although immunity can be waived by the diplomat's state.
The meeting with Mr Shanmugam was requested by Israel's ambassador. The minister said: "I pointed out to him that embassies are entitled to have their point of view.
"But where what has been said affects Singapore, in this case the harmony and safety within Singapore, especially the security as well of our minority communities, we have to step in."
Mr Shanmugam also provided an update on reports of alleged offensive remarks or actions against the Jewish or Muslim communities in Singapore.
Between Oct 7, 2023 and Mar 31, 2024, the police received 43 such reports, he said. A previous update stated that the police received eight such reports in October 2023.
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"WELL-INTENTIONED" PROTESTS COULD TURN VIOLENT
Describing the conflict in the Middle East as "emotionally charged", Mr Shanmugam said deeply held feelings can result in words or actions that offend other communities.
Divides can be seen especially between Singapore's Malay-Muslim community on the one hand, and the Jewish and Christian communities on the other.
Mr Shanmugam said the government will intervene against acts that can affect social harmony. He also said that overseas protests about the conflict have often turned violent.
"They may start off well-intentioned, led by honest, idealistic people," he said. "Often, there is a group which has legitimate aims, wants to be peaceful.
"But there are often others who use these events where people gather to then engineer violence and put the police on the defensive, and try and egg the police on to try and engage in forcibly preventing acts of violence, and then it escalates."
He continued: "Our own view is that if we allow protests on this issue, initially it may be peaceful, but over time, as the protests take a life of their own, there could be some violence, breach of the peace and law, occupying of buildings."
Individuals who engage in offensive or violent conduct are "a very small minority" in Singapore, he acknowledged.
"Even where views on the conflict have differed, people in Singapore have been relatively measured and rational in the way we have approached the issues," the minister said.
He added that the government will work to build mutual trust and understanding across Singapore's ethnic and religious communities, at the leadership and people-to-people levels.
Continue reading...