S’pore’s foreign policy cannot be driven by emotion; domestic unity essential: Vivian Balakrishnan

Senior Political Correspondent

UPDATED

SINGAPORE - Singaporeans may feel deeply about what is happening in Gaza, with some even calling for the Government to sever diplomatic ties with Israel, but the Republic’s foreign policy cannot be driven by sentiment or affinity to any external group, said Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan on Feb 29.

Instead, Singapore’s foreign policy must be based on a realistic assessment of its own national interests and vulnerabilities, he added at the debate on his ministry’s budget.

It is in this context that the Republic has condemned Hamas’ Oct 7 incursion into southern Israel as an act of terrorism, supported Israel’s right to self-defence thereafter, and also consistently insisted that Israel comply with international humanitarian law and and the principles of necessity and proportionality, he added.

“Unfortunately, Israel’s military response has gone too far. For avoidance of ambiguity, I’m going to repeat that Israel’s military response has gone too far,” said Dr Balakrishnan, calling for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire to alleviate the unbearable suffering of civilian victims and to allow aid to reach them.

“We are also concerned that there may be a potential ground offensive into Rafah, which will only worsen the situation further.”

Maintaining ties, delivering aid

Singapore has made its stand clear, not because it is taking sides or “trying to correct history or rewrite history”, but to uphold principles, he said.

While there have been calls by some people for Singapore to sever diplomatic ties with Israel, and to recall its ambassador, the Government will not be doing so, he added.

“Whatever we say or do diplomatically will not change the situation on the ground. Nor... will it influence Israel to suddenly change its policy, or will it necessarily immediately reduce the suffering of the Palestinians,” he said.

He added that Singapore has never broken diplomatic ties with any country, and noted that the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, and even Arab countries like Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan, have not broken diplomatic relations with Israel.

Asked about the thinking behind Singapore’s foreign policy stance by Leader of the Opposition and Workers’ Party chief Pritam Singh, Dr Balakrishnan said such a “performative gesture” would not be helpful.

On occasion, Singapore will have to take actions to signify its disapproval on various matters, but “even in your choice of actions and diplomatic gestures, be very restrained, be very careful, and then focus on outcomes”, he said.

In times of conflict, it is also better to keep as many channels open as possible to facilitate communications, and Singapore has maintained good and respectful relations with both Israel and the Palestinian Authority, he added, drawing consensus on both sides of the aisle.

This has allowed Singapore to work with the authorities in the region to deliver aid to the people in Gaza, he said.

Asked by Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim (Chua Chu Kang GRC) about how Singapore is helping with the humanitarian crisis, Dr Balakrishnan said the Government delivered the first tranche of aid to the Egyptian Red Crescent in November 2023, and the second tranche directly to Al Arish near the Egypt-Gaza border in January 2024

A third tranche of aid will be donated, and delivered through Jordan, he added.

So far, Singapore non-governmental organisations and the Government have raised more than $10 million for Gaza relief operations, he said.

Longstanding issue

Compared with the war in Ukraine, the war in Gaza has had less economic impact on Singapore thus far, but much more emotional impact, said Dr Balakrishnan.

This is especially so for the Muslim community here, said Second Minister for Foreign Affairs Maliki Osman at the debate.

He pointed to ties of kinship between the Singaporean and Palestinian Muslim populations, strong feelings on the status of Islam’s third-holiest shrine, the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, as well as the bonds of common humanity.

That is why religious leaders here have given guidance and space for the Muslim community to express their anger, pain and sympathy, in line with strengthening the Singapore Muslim Identity, Dr Maliki said.

Dr Balakrishnan said that given the conflict’s long and complex history, it was easy to think that it is a religious struggle, but that this was not so.

“Religion is actually a veneer covering the heart of the conflict... an age-old conflict, a fight over land, over identity, over power,” he added.

“The Israelis and Palestinians are both Semitic tribes, who have been fighting over the same sliver of land for such a long time,” Dr Balakrishnan said, adding that it is not possible for Singaporeans, as outsiders, to determine who has a stronger historical claim.

Reiterating Singapore’s position, he said both Israel and Palestine have a right to exist.

Israel has a right to live peacefully within secure borders and the Palestinian people also have a right to a homeland, which is why Singapore welcomed the proclamation of a Palestinian state in 1988, he said.

Given this, Singapore has consistently supported a two-state solution at international fora like the United Nations, and has also consistently opposed moves that undermine such a solution, such as voting against Israel’s illegal settlements in the West Bank, he said.

Singapore has also voted in support of every UN resolution that calls on Israel to rescind all unilateral measures to change the status of Jerusalem, he added.

Cohesion and consensus

People rightly feel strongly about the loss of innocent lives and appalling humanitarian tragedy resulting from the latest developments, he said.

“But it is essential for Singaporeans to understand and appreciate that this is not our quarrel,” he added, calling on people not to let it divide society.

Ultimately, foreign policy begins at home, and domestic unity and cohesion are essential preconditions for an effective foreign policy and strong country, said Dr Balakrishnan.

He said Singapore’s diversity was both a defining strength and potential source of vulnerability, because people’s ethnic identities and legacies are useful for establishing connections with others outside but can also provide windows for influence and division.

He predicted that there would be many more difficult, sensitive, prickly, and controversial foreign policy issues in the years ahead given the state of the world today, calling on Singaporeans to always remember to respond as Singaporeans first, find a middle ground and build consensus.

“The Israel-Hamas war is just the latest chapter. Can you imagine if there’s a war between the US and China, or India and China, or between our neighbors, or in the South China Sea?” he said.

“Then it won’t be just economics or just emotion. Everything will come to bear at the same time, both the economic and the emotional impact. And if that happens, if Singapore splits, polarizes, divides on the basis of affinity or history or identity, race, language or religion - we’ll be sunk. We’ll be divided, we’ll be weaker, we’ll be vulnerable. We will not be independent. We will not have autonomy.”

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