Singapore has said it may review its position on recognising a Palestinian state if the conflict worsens or if Israel takes further steps that undermine hopes for a two-state solution. Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan told parliament on Monday, September 22, that Singapore has “always supported a negotiated two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict” and will continue to stand by that principle.
He explained that recognition would only be possible when there is a unified and effective Palestinian government that “accepts Israel’s right to exist and categorically renounces terrorism”.
Currently, the Palestinian Authority controls parts of the West Bank but does not govern Gaza, which has been under Hamas since 2007. Hamas has refused to accept Israel’s legitimacy and has not disarmed, leaving uncertainty over who will administer Gaza after any ceasefire.
Balakrishnan said Singapore will “oppose any steps by Israel to extinguish or undermine” a two-state solution, adding that unilateral annexation of occupied territory would be “a flagrant breach of international law”.
He also announced that Singapore will impose targeted sanctions on radical settler groups or organisations responsible for violence in the West Bank.
On the humanitarian crisis, he was sharply critical of Israel’s actions, saying: “Israel’s military operations, which have recently intensified in Gaza City, have exacerbated the prolonged, desperate suffering of innocent civilians. This is unconscionable.”
More than 60,000 people are reported to have been killed, including many children. He described the situation in Gaza as “shocking” and warned that the deliberate denial of humanitarian aid was “completely unacceptable” and may even constitute breaches of international humanitarian law.
Even as Singapore maintains its diplomatic position, it has continued to contribute to relief efforts. The country has delivered ten tranches of humanitarian aid worth more than SGD 24 million, including support for hospitals in Egypt treating Palestinians, prosthetic supplies for about 100 amputees under Jordan’s Restoring Hope Initiative, and USD 500,000 to the World Food Programme.
Singaporean doctors and military personnel are already in Cairo to assist, and another medical team is planned when conditions allow.
Dr Balakrishnan closed by emphasising that compromise is essential: “The Israeli people and Palestinian people both exist as an objective reality. Both have claims to a sovereign state in their ancestral homeland. There can be no ‘river-to-the-sea’ for either side.”
He added that only a negotiated two-state solution, consistent with United Nations Security Council resolutions, can bring lasting peace.
