Law and Home Affairs Minister highlights security lessons from the recent conflict.
SINGAPORE: Following the October 7 Hamas attacks and Israel’s retaliatory strikes in Gaza, there has been a “noticeable increase” in anti-Singapore sentiment across social media, according to Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam. He noted that such sentiments have emerged from the region in response to the unfolding situation.
Speaking at the annual Ministry of Home Affairs National Day Awards investiture on Monday (Nov 27), Mr. Shanmugam discussed how developments in the Middle East impact Singapore and the work of the Home Team. He cited examples of comments labeling Singapore as pro-West or pro-Israel, with some referring to the country as “Tanah Melayu” — implying a parallel to Israel’s presence on Palestinian land.
Singapore’s official stance on the long-standing conflict supports a two-state solution. Recently, a parliamentary motion was passed recognizing Israel’s right to self-defense while condemning disproportionate attacks on Gaza.
During a parliamentary debate on Nov 6, Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong noted an increase in anti-Singapore rhetoric and violent threats, an observation echoed by Mr. Shanmugam at Monday’s event. He reported calls online for Singapore to be targeted with rockets and bombs, emphasizing that global terrorist organizations like Al Qaeda and ISIS have renewed calls for attacks in light of the current conflict.
Mr. Shanmugam pointed out that while Hamas’s attacks on Israel displayed a “high level” of tactical planning, they were executed with “relatively low-tech” equipment. He warned that Singapore remains an attractive target for such actions and highlighted data from the region indicating that the threat is real.
Protecting Singapore’s Religious Diversity While Singaporeans can and should sympathize with civilians suffering from the conflict, Mr. Shanmugam stressed that this sentiment should not undermine Singapore’s peace and harmony. He noted a surge in reports of Islamophobia and antisemitism in many countries, including a significant rise in related offenses in London.
In Singapore, the police received eight reports of offensive remarks targeting members of the Jewish or Muslim communities in October, nearly matching the total for the first nine months of the year. Mr. Shanmugam cited a recent Pew study praising Singaporeans’ tolerance for various faiths, emphasizing the need to protect the country’s religious diversity. “Most Singaporeans see Singapore’s religious diversity as something that enhances the quality of life here,” he stated. “And we must safeguard that.”
