Where do Singaporeans stand on Israel’s continued assault on Gaza?

Singapore appears to be doubling down on its “friend to all, but an enemy to none” mantra when it comes to ties with Israel at a time when Israeli military has killed thousands of Palestinian civilians in Gaza.

In February, Singapore’s education ministry introduced lessons in schools on the war in Gaza, which education minister Chan Chun Sing said aims to help students understand their emotions and be emphatic toward others.

But there was an immediate push back from parents who said they were concerned the narrative was pro-Israel since the lessons covered events as they transpired after October 7.

In an open letter to the ministry, concerned parents said students have consistently reported that the materials being taught were “lacking in accurate narration of historical events.”

“Any attempts by students to correct the misinformation has been ignored, shut down or worse, punished. To begin with, teachers facilitating the discussion have wrongly chosen to portray Israel’s current genocide / military occupation of Palestinians as a response to the events of 7 October 2023,” it added.

Taught during what is known as Character and Citizenship Education (CCE) classes, Chan has said the lessons are not intended to be history lessons. It is also not meant to pin blame on any side, he added.

On February 23, the ministry said CCE classes would also cover “discussions on a range of contemporary issues,” including casual racism, mental health, as well as the war in Ukraine.

Students will be taught to “understand the situation from Singapore’s perspectives, including the need to preserve our cohesion and harmony,” the statement said.

“In conducting these lessons, our teachers do not impose their personal views on the students, nor do they advocate for the interests of any particular parties involved in the conflict,” the ministry had said in a statement.

Singapore has called for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire at the UN. It voted in favour of two UN General Assembly resolutions on the protection of civilians and upholding legal and humanitarian obligations.

Despite allowing rallies during a previous cycle of violence in 2014, local authorities have rejected applications to use the Speakers’ Corner, an outdoor venue for political speeches and discussions similar to the one in London’s Hyde Park, for events related to Israel’s latest war on Gaza, citing public safety concerns.

Public display of foreign national emblems relating to the Israeli war is also not allowed, while people were told to be careful about supporting fundraising activities, according to two government advisories.

One reason for Singapore’s cautious approach lies in the city-state’s little-known military ties with Israel.

Israelis as ‘Mexicans’

When Singapore became an independent and sovereign state on August 9, 1965, the fledgling Southeast Asian nation felt the need to build its defence capabilities.

A tiny island country that had just broken its union with Malaysia, Singapore looked to other nations for help, seeking military advice and foreign assistance to get the ball rolling.

Some countries which the late Singaporean leader Lee Kuan Yew and former minister of defence Goh Keng Swee had approached included Egypt and India.

But it was ultimately Israel that acted as an advisor, providing the blueprint for the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) — a little-known fact kept hushed by design and which came to light when Lee wrote about it in his book, From Third World to First: The Singapore Story, published in 2000.

Lee detailed how they referred to the Israelis as “Mexicans” in order “to disguise their presence,” writing, “They looked swarthy enough.”

According to former ambassador of Singapore to Israel Winston Choo, the plan for Singapore bore similarities to the Israeli army's conscription system, which calls on citizens to serve in the military.

Israeli major-general Rehavam Ze'evi had discreetly travelled to Singapore, situated at the Southern tip of Malaysia, to understand the island country’s terrain before developing a master plan, known as the Brown Book, used then to train Singaporeans through a series of prep courses.

“However, the Israeli military advisers’ presence in Singapore presented us with an awkward political quandary,” Choo wrote in a multi-author book, In Beating The Odds Together: 50 Years of Singapore-Israel Ties.

“The Israeli–Palestinian conflict was, and still is, an emotive and salient issue among Southeast Asian Muslims. But Singapore was vulnerable, with few options.

“Therefore,” Choo added, “we had to keep our defence co-operation low-profile to avoid riling up sensitivities. We even referred to the Israeli military advisers as the ‘Mexicans’ to cover up their true identities.” He noted that the “subterfuge did not hinder” the cooperation.

Military capabilities

In 1968, Singapore established an armoured brigade which included AMX-13 light tanks, the SAF’s first tanks, following a proposal by its Israeli advisors.

The next year, in May 1969, the countries officially formed diplomatic relations. This is in contrast with nations in the region such as Malaysia, Indonesia, and Brunei, which still do not have any formal diplomatic relations with Israel.

Although it had normalised relations with Tel Aviv, Singapore maintains a delicate diplomatic balance, and has adopted an overall foreign policy that includes one of several core principles — “friend to all, but an enemy of none.”

Today, Singapore is described as having one of the world’s most sophisticated militaries, with an air force and navy deemed as top in Southeast Asia.

The nation’s defence budget for the coming financial year reportedly will see an increase by 2.5 percent from 2023, coming in at an estimated $20.2 billion.

Detailing the countries’ relationship in a March 2020 interview with Israeli media Haaretz, former foreign minister of Singapore George Yeo said the island country and Israel share “a certain kindred spirit.”

"There's still many things that we don't want to talk about openly and the relationship between Israel and the Islamic world is still a sensitive subject in this part of the world — even among some of the Muslims in Singapore," Yeo said.

Singapore, with a population of just over six million, has a demographic made up of predominantly ethnic Chinese, as well as Malay and Indian ethnic minorities. Its religious makeup is also considered one of the most diverse in the world, with religions that include Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Taoism, and more.

Although it does not recognise Palestinian statehood, Singapore supports a two-state solution.

Where Singapore stands now

After the Hamas October attack triggered a war, Singapore recognised Israel’s right to self-defence. Since then, Tel Aviv’s military offensive has indiscriminately killed at least 31,819 people, and wounded more than 70,000 others in the besieged enclave.

In November, Singapore’s foreign affairs minister Vivian Balakrishnan said Israel must accept a Palestinian state, just as Palestinians should accept Israel's right to exist. Speaking in parliament on February 29, however, he said that “Israel’s military response has gone too far.”

“The catastrophic situation in Gaza demands an immediate humanitarian ceasefire to alleviate the unbearable suffering of the civilian victims and to enable humanitarian assistance to reach them immediately,” Balakrishnan said. “We are also concerned that there may be a potential ground offensive into Rafah which will only worsen the situation further.”

Cutting diplomatic ties, however, would not change the situation on the ground in Gaza nor reduce the suffering of Palestinians, he added. “Israel has a right to live peacefully within secure borders, but the Palestinian people also have a right to a homeland.”

How would Singapore’s relations with Tel Aviv be impacted by the position it has taken on the war in Gaza? Balakrishnan said that Israel “clearly” knows that “our position is not identical to theirs” yet Singapore has been “able to maintain good and respectful relations with the state of Israel.”

He added that the island country has “good and equally respectful relations with the Palestinian Authority” too, and that “all sides know Singapore will always speak our mind, not provocatively, but because these are dearly held principles that we uphold.”

“We will continue to maintain these positions guided by Singapore’s long-term national interests and our unique circumstances. Whether or not you agree or disagree with us, it is not personal. It is a carefully considered national position,” said Balakrishnan.

Support for Palestine

Many have taken to social to express support for Palestine with hashtags like #freewatermelontoday and #weargreenforpalestine.

On Feb 15, a Singaporean content creator spoke in a video on social media about being detained by Singapore authorities at the Tuas Checkpoint, a border crossing station connecting Singapore and Malaysia, due to her attending a pro-Palestine protest in Japan.

In the video, Camira Asrori said authorities asked about her social media activity, particularly her postings related to the war in Gaza. “They are okay with you reposting content from other creators, but they will look into comments you have included in your repost. Do not be afraid if whatever you are saying is the truth,” Asrori said.

Another officer pointed out the post she shared while attending the protest in Japan. “He said the posting encourages Singaporeans to protest overseas and it may ‘jeopardise’ their safety,” Asrori explained, adding that she was released after deleting the video.

Commenting under Asrori’s video, another Singaporean creator Dahlia Mohd said, “Happened to me too. I had someone lodge a complaint based on my postings and fundraisers. Thankfully, now I know my legal rights and recognise what is procedure and what is not.”