Singapore wants to protect local Jewish community from impacts of Gaza war: Shanmugam

SINGAPORE: Singapore wants to insulate and protect the local Jewish community from the impacts of the war in Gaza, said Minister for Home Affairs and Law K Shanmugam on Thursday (Apr 11).

“Our fundamental aim, government’s fundamental duty, is to maintain law and order, protect everyone. That is the first order of business for the government,” he said at a pre-Passover celebration organised by the Jewish Welfare Board (JWB) at the Jacob Ballas Centre in Waterloo Street.

That was a key reason why the authorities took a strong stance against a social media post by the Israeli Embassy in Singapore last month. The post contained claims comparing mentions of Israel and Palestine in the Quran.

“It risks inflaming tensions, can undermine the peace and harmony we enjoy in Singapore, and can also put the Jewish community here at risk, if the anger spills over into the physical realm,” he said.

Mr Shanmugam added that Jews have a very long history in Singapore and are a vibrant and valuable part of society.

“The community has played a vital role in building Singapore up through the years, and it continues strongly today,” he said.

RISE IN TENSIONS

Mr Shanmugam noted that there has been a rise in Islamophobia and anti-semitism around the world.

In the United States, reported discrimination and attacks against Muslims reached a record high last year, according to the Council on American-Islamic Relations, he said.

There was an increase of more than 300 per cent in anti-semitic incidents of assault, vandalism, and harassment in the month after Oct 7, 2023, according to the Anti-Defamation League.

Across Europe, Southeast Asia, Australia and Africa, people are getting assaulted, stabbed and shot, receiving death threats, getting stopped on the streets and screamed and spat at, and having their property vandalised, said Mr Shanmugam.

"In Singapore, we tried hard not to import these tensions, conflicts and arguments, into our own society," said the minister.

“We are a multicultural, diverse place in terms of religions, ancestries, ethnicities and backgrounds. And we have felt in Singapore, some impact, with the ongoing war in Gaza. But thankfully, the level of tension and friction is less, compared with other places.”

Mr Shanmugam said this is due to the framework of laws in Singapore, its "firmness in making clear" that the laws will be equally and fairly enforced, and continued efforts to increase understanding between communities.

“We have made a clear commitment to protect all our minorities which, in Singapore’s context, includes the Muslim and Jewish communities. We take a firm view against any expression of violence, and obviously, any actual violence,” he said.

"And people know we mean what we say, and I personally made that clear, recently.

“So in Singapore, the situation has so far looked quite different from many other places around the world.”

SINGAPORE’S CLEAR POSITION

In his speech to over 50 attendees at the event, including leaders of the local Jewish community and representatives of the Inter-Religious Organisation (IRO), Mr Shanmugam said Singapore’s position on the Gaza conflict has been made very clear in its statements, and at the United Nations.

“Our relationship with Israel, since the days of our founding, has been very strong. But that will not preclude us from taking a principled view on the actions of the different actors in the Middle East, at any point in time,” he said.

“And recent actions by Israel have been a cause for concern ... not just to us, but to many in the international community, including the United States.”

He added that it is sad that a country like Israel, whose people suffered during the Holocaust and "centuries before that", should be accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice.

"These will have an impact on the perception of Jewish communities around the world," noted Mr Shanmugam.

"What is our task? I am very clear – we want to insulate, protect our Jewish community from these impacts, as much as we can."

Passover, which begins at sundown on Apr 22, is one of the most widely observed Jewish festivals, commemorating the liberation of Jews from slavery in Egypt more than 3,000 years ago.

JWB president Nash Benjamin, who hosted Thursday’s celebration with Chief Rabbi Mordechai Abergel, said: “The leaders of the JWB feel that it is particularly important for us to continue supporting and strengthening the unique bonds we have in Singapore among different races and religions.

“Since its inception, the JWB has been a proud active participant in the IRO and will continue to do our part to promote religious harmony in Singapore.”

In his speech, Chief Rabbi Mordechai said: “We all agree that it is perfectly legitimate to share opinions criticising the policies of Israel as a state, and we are all entitled to our views in this regard, provided that such views are shared in a peaceful and respectful manner.

“However, the moment such criticism morphs into an anti-Jewish sentiment, there is great cause for concern.”

IRO council member Ameerali Abdeali told reporters that the Muslim community in Singapore has over the decades built up its friendship and comfort levels with their Jewish counterparts.

“We want to remain together and to help and protect each other,” he said, adding that they are all praying for peace not just in Singapore, but in the Middle East too.

He noted that maintaining religious peace in Singapore is an ongoing effort.

"There will be difficult times as it is now, but there will be other difficult times later on, and we will always be together," he said.