Singapore
Singapore Govt demanded Israeli embassy to remove Facebook post
The Singapore government demanded the Israeli embassy remove a Facebook post comparing mentions of Israel and Palestine in the Quran, citing risks to security and harmony.
The Singapore government has expressed strong disapproval of a Facebook post by the Israeli embassy that was deemed “completely unacceptable” by Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam.
The controversial post, which surfaced on Sunday (Mar 24) on the embassy’s official Facebook account, made comparisons between mentions of Israel and Palestine in the Quran, stating: “Israel is mentioned 43 times in the Quran. On the other hand, Palestine is not mentioned even once. Each and every archeological 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 day.
Addressing the media on Monday, Minister Shanmugam revealed his immediate reaction upon discovering the post. “I was very upset,” he confessed, outlining the steps taken by the Home Affairs Ministry to communicate their concerns to the Foreign Affairs Ministry, which in turn demanded the immediate removal of the post by the Israeli embassy.
Mr Shanmugam criticized the post for being “insensitive and inappropriate,” highlighting the potential risks it posed to Singapore’s safety, security, and harmony.
He emphasized Singapore’s commitment to protecting all its residents, including Jewish and Muslim communities, and cautioned against actions that could “inflame tensions” and jeopardize the safety of the Jewish community in Singapore.
The minister further condemned the post for its attempt to “selectively point to religious texts to make a political point” and criticized it as an “astonishing attempt to rewrite history.”
Mr Shanmugam underscored the importance of adhering to international law and the potential repercussions of such posts on the peaceful coexistence of different communities in Singapore.
While embassies generally enjoy autonomy in their statements, he made it clear that the Singapore government reserves the right to intervene in matters that affect the nation’s safety and harmony.
Echoing Shanmugam’s sentiments, Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan also issued a statement emphasizing the inappropriateness of referencing sacred texts for political ends and confirmed that the embassy had complied with the request to take down the contentious post.
This article was first published on Gutzy Asia.
