Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan discusses Singapore's stance on the Israel-Hamas conflict 

Why is Singapore severing ties with Russia in Russia-Ukraine war. Are we not suppose to remain impartial?

Were those who stood up against the Japanese freedom fighters or terrorist?

What about foreign interference from Western countries? 😂

Politicians like to use a lot of feel-good words like constructive, consensus, pragmatic, win-win solution...

I am writing this on 19th of April, after Iran's drone attacks on Israel. Singapore has issued a statement, condemning the Iranian attacks. I am asking why Singapore was silent when Israel attacked the Iranian consulate in Damascus.

Think CECA Think FTs Think can you trust this Govt

The problem with calling things as terrorism on oct 7 is the fact that people do not want to look at the ENTIRETY of the events that happened on that day. When Israel made the claims, they were not only questionable but they could not produce evidences to back them up. The media fail to acknowledge on that same day of Israel using helicopters and tanks to attack the Hamas militants which hit their civilians and creating a cross-fire which ultimately kills more civilians as a result. If we want to be objective, then we should see the situation from EVERY ANGLE, and not continuously repeat one side of the story.

It shows how vulnerable Singapore is and yet wants to voice out her point in terrorism. The biggest tyrant and boogeymen in past 70 years is USA waging endless wars on lies yet I doubt we can ever see Singapore government calling America out on their behavior.

Fully agree with his views/opinions. Singapore has a 1st class Foreign Minister.

6:43 Question was not answered. 🙄🙄

❤❤❤🫡🫡🫡 your allegiance is to Singapore, as a Singaporean

Did the attack on Oct 7 happen in a vacuum? I expected the Americans and Europeans to ignore 75 years of oppression and brutal treatments of Palestinians by the israeli, but Singapore? Expected more empathy.

"National Interest" is the ultimate excuse. I wont call it the wild card. But i asked A.I. who determines its definition

Do Palestinians who are defending their own land is being called terrorist?

Why is Singapore not using Huawei when it's the best? It's going against Singapore's national interest. Iswaran rejected Huawei without any explanation.

1 man's missionary school is another man's re-education centre. Newspapers and traditional media are mostly a loss-making business yet we have Anglo and small hat oligarchs pumping money into it. Hmm..

No wonder, he keep repeating the phrase calling a spade a spade. Indeed it is a SPADE!

SG will align what the US views or direction is heading. I think US navy ship can dock at Singapore, right?

*Indeed we all are living in this dangerous world so dont worry be happy ok*

Everyone who thinks it all start on 7th oct, forget about 1948, go a deep dive on the deir yassen mass acre, the tan tura mass acre, etc etc.

29-2-2023 104 people died and 760 people were injured of Palestinians were reported this morning by Israeli forces at an aid distribution point in northern Gaza. A military source confirmed Israeli soldiers opened fire and claimed the group was a "threat" as they approached.

Enough playing politics when people are dying.. Remember those who stood & fought even with their bare hands without firearms against atrocities of killing or burying villages alive etc. regardless of race forcing them to join their political ideology during the 60's in the jungles of Malaya.. just saying no offence meant anyway..

hamas knew this was the expected outcome, so why did they continue the terror attacks? were they expecting israel to serve tea and give back their land?

I beg to differ from the Minister's labelling Oct 7 as an act of terrorism. GAZA is OCCUPIED territory by Israel. Gazans have every right to defend their territory and to reclaim their land from the terrorists occupying it. The minister should think about the situation that should his family home be occupied by intruders leaving him and his family holed up in only one small room. Would he call his fighting back to reclaim his home an act of terrorism?

It’s not about importing foreign issues. We should stand with the suffering, and speak up against atrocities against women and children. Genocide should be strongly condemned. As a non Muslim, Chinese Christian I will not hesitate to Condemn Israel ‘s occupation and continued theft of lands and houses of inhabitants of the Middle East who were there long before the Poles the Germans and the white Anglo Saxon immigrants from USA Australia UK Canada and Europe migrated there in droves. FREE PALESTINE!!

Put Singapore first. This is a problem even before 1965. The crux in cross borders loyalties can be found in religion. Catholic , Islamic, Jewish , are key groups. Some mentions are needed.

Don't bring other countries issues to Sg

When Singapore ministers - be they full ministers or ministers of state (senior or not) use the phrase "rule-based international order", they know that they clearly meant it in the same meaning as what US politicians such as Antony Blinken says. Which is, this "international order" is, if it's the US winning, it's THE ORDER. If it's the US losing, then it's NOT in compliance with the "international order"

Israel does have a right of self defense against any other state (like USA or UK or Iran) but they cannot do so on a threat that is emerging from a territory that is under illegal occupation of Israel (in this case Palestinian territories) - Article 51 charter of the United Nations

Always start by breathing as loud as possible, through your mouth.

America and Britain have huge influence in Singapore. Singapore is also tied to America through it's military industrial complex. Singapore cannot have an independent foreign policy even if it wants to. But, there are demographics realities as well, most Singapore trace thier heritage back to China, 75 percent identity as Chinese and feel kinship to it. When China Grows and outpaces the united states and becomes the number 1 and the most dominant economy of the world, the political reality, the geographical reality and the demographic reality will kick in Singapore politics and they'll have to make a choice and move away from the west and align itself with Regional powers in the East. Not to mention China is slowly creating a Monroe doctrine of it's own. The only curious case is Japan and world war 2 legacy seem to weigh heavy on them. I think they will stay with the West powers and try to act as a western bulwark in the East, much like the way Israel acts as a western bulwark in the middle East.

Have the right to defend itself against civilians

Follow the law of the country.

You know why INDIA is in BRICS and QUAD....what do you think is the world's opinion on that?! How handy it must be for the collective west to have cecan in Singapore to divide and rule Singapore. Chinese in Singapore will do no such thing.

The 'West Bank' is Judea, the ancient land of the Jews. The Jews are from Judea, where the Judean mountains runs along the spine of Israel, where the tribe of Judah had its tribal allotment. The Jews are the native people of the Holy Land. The ‘Philistines’ came from the Greek Isles, originally; these modern ‘Palestinians’ have no relation to them at all. They are Persian, Egyptian, Bedouin, Turkish, Syrian, & Arabian, mostly. The term 'West Bank' is a modern term with no historical significance. There was never a country called 'Jordan' before the modern state of Jordan was created out of whole cloth by Great Britain using 75% of the 'mandate for Palestine'.

It's completely dishonest to consider only 2% of history. Frustrated by confusing & contradictory information, I researched the history of the land we call Israel and Palestine today. Who lived on it first? Israelites lived in this land 1,658 years before the ancestors of Palestinians. Palestinian ancestral land is the Arabian Peninsula. ‘Palestinian’ is a modern word from the 20th century. "Syria Palaestina” was the name given by the Romans to Judea after the Bar Kochba revolt, although the name's origins go back even further, being based on the term 'Philistine', the name for a land that at the time belonged to a people who were no longer extant, not as a people nor a political entity Only the Canaanites and Philistine predate the Israelites. The descendants of Canaanites and Philistine is complex and not entirely resolved The Israelites arrived C1300 BCE and established the Israelite Kingdoms of Israel and Judah. The Kingdom of Israel fell to the Assyrians in 722 BC, while the Kingdom of Judah was conquered by the Babylonians in 586 BCE. Next the land changed hands many times, until Arab Muslims conquered it in 638 CE and established an Islamic Caliphate. The Arab population, increasingly identifying as Palestinian particularly in the 20th century, has been a significant part of the social and cultural fabric of the area, especially during the periods of Islamic rule and the Ottoman Empire. A timeline: Canaanite Period (c. 3000 - 1200 BCE): The earliest known inhabitants were Canaanites, a Semitic-speaking people. Philistine Period (c. 1175 - 604 BCE): Philistines settled along the coastal areas, mostly in the Gaza Strip. Israelite Kingdoms (c. 1020 - 586 BCE): The Israelites, also a Semitic-speaking people, established the Kingdoms of Israel and Judah. Assyrian and Babylonian Periods (722 - 539 BCE): Assyrians and Babylonians conquered the region. Persian Period (539 - 332 BCE): Persia conquered the Babylonian empire, including this area. The Persians later reinstated Israel as a country. Hellenistic Period (332 - 167 BCE): Conquest by Alexander the Great, followed by the Ptolemaic and Seleucid rules. Hasmonean Kingdom (167 - 37 BCE): Jewish rule restored after the Maccabean Revolt against the Seleucids. Roman Period (63 BCE - 324 CE): The area became a part of the Roman Empire, with Israel remaining a kingdom within that empire, with Rome appointing the king, until AD 44. Bar Kochba Period (132 CE - 136 CE): Simon bar Kochba let a Jewish revolt and for a short time revived Jewish sovereignty over land, until it was brutally crushed by the Roman Emperor Hadrian, who renamed Judea as Syria Palaestina to remove any trace of Jewish connection to the land. Byzantine Period (324 - 638 CE): Christian rule under the Byzantine Empire. Islamic Caliphate Era (638 CE - 1099 CE): Arab Muslims conquered Jerusalem in 638 CE, introducing Arab rule and Islamic culture to the region. Arabic gradually replaced Aramaic and Greek as the dominant language. Crusader Period (1099 - 1187 CE): European Christians captured Jerusalem and established the Kingdom of Jerusalem. Ayyubid and Mamluk Periods (1187 - 1516 CE): Saladin, a Kurdish Muslim leader, defeated the Crusaders. The Mamluks, who were of various ethnicities including Turkic and Circassian, succeeded the Ayyubids. Ottoman Period (1516 - 1917 CE): The Ottoman Turks controlled the region, and the Arab populace lived under Ottoman rule. British Mandate (1917 - 1948 CE): British control after World War I. Increased Jewish immigration leads to tensions between Jews and Arabs. State of Israel (1948 - Present): Established in 1948, leading to ongoing conflicts with Arab Palestinians. The ‘West Bank' is in fact ancient Judea, the land of the Jews. The 'Philistines' lived along the southwest coastline, nowhere near the Judean hills. But with all this, there has never been a Palestinian state.

Then why did Singapore sanction Russia? Didn't they act out on self-defense as well?

Hello! Did you hear the UN chief saying that the October 7 Hamas attack did not occur in a vacuum? Did you? That is the truth if you ponder on the history of the Middle East for the last 75 years. So you said you had to call it out? Now that Israel has killed more than 30,000 civilians, will you not call out also - instead of just saying mildly that "Israel has gone too far".

singapore is the most tolerance of diversity in race and religious ❤

Well said minister ❤

??????????? FEED YOUR HUNGRY????????

2 state solution with freedom to sovereignty is ideal... but let's not forget that there are people still today in the region and our nearby neighbours who still want a total abolishment of Israel as a nation... so how?

Singapore identity first but the pap puts foreign identity first in singapore as ysual to gain votes .

WHAT "DIVERSITY"??? here theres only 2 groups! "RICH AND CONNECTED", or "poor and exploited"!!!

Samuel P. Huntington wrote a book titles, "The Clash of Civilizations and The Remaking of World Order". Henry Kissingger kssed Huntinton and his book with love which is hatred to non-Judeo-Christian.

Just love this fella's charm and story telling skills and hand gestures. He's the man! Let's just focus on ourselves SGreans. Yes it is unfair, the world is unfair depending on if you are at the receiving end, unless Allah or God appears and end everything. If not, life goes on.

We can state our stand till the cows come home but the key to resolution still lies between Israel and the Palestinians. Neither party will budge, both want all or none. If the conflict continues without an end in sight, for how long should we send aid? If both sides decide to annihilate each other, will we be forced to take sides and if we do not, do we stop sending aid when neither side refuse to take responsibility for their own peoples? Aren’t we being drawn into this external quarrel? Sure, we can help while it remains a humanitarian crisis, but when the dust settles, aid has to come with conditions. I think the key in all this rhetoric is how our actions serve our own interests.

Just say singapore is against apartheid as well as against terrorism.

I see lack of justice in Singapore governance.

Singapore 🇸🇬 needs to *distance* itself from the regime in Beijing🇨🇳. - It's for national security and economy growth.

We are Singapoeean & Asian ....

So is Hamas decades long bombardment of Israel with rockets going too far? In Singapores view, what would be a reasonable response to this bombardment and Oct 7?

Yes,while you sit inside a big bungalow , it's easy for you to say that!try to put yr place in there! how will be yr reaction then?

ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-XNf40sBcvKk.html

Someone has to lead good change and break free from the unchangeable past. The bible tells the story of David and Goliath, David was made king by Samuel because of his courage, faith and righteous cause. But it upset Saul as he felt he was better than David. Saul was plagued with jealousy and wanted to kill David. Goliath’s pride led to his fall. The word ‘devil’ in the scriptures is the opposite of god, the personification of evil, it has nothing. The devil in moral philosophy are the negative traits like jealousy, hatred, greed, sloth etc. The historical Pythagoras “ created a cult-like following that advocated that the universe was made up of numbers” and was not in support of democracy. Plato, a student of Socrates said, the “physical world is not really the real world” but illusion. Aristotle searched to define function, classification and hierarchy. Socrates promoted the question and answer method to validate democracy but he was put on trial and death. We live on this unchangeable past of good, evil, right and wrong. But, there is opportunity for each individual in this era , like David to choose what is right. Pythagoras’s dislike for words too needs change. The Tamils have an idiom, “Yennum elithum kann yena thaghum” it means numbers and words are like the two eyes that allows a single vision. Words through discussion and dialogue must balance numbers to set free from the walls that had been built. Are we at the crossroads of civilisation? The world perhaps has gone through this multiple times and life is still pursued.

Free trade and international rule base financial center based on USD is Singapore's rice bowl. Follow the rice bowl.

Ridout

Your stance was: let's wait for the dust to settle, and then wait for investigation, in the meantime, our condolences. That was 20,000 lives ago.

He nailed it. Hope all get the message crystal clear.

Singapore is wise enough and mature .

Rubbish talks.

He is worried

No choice here, Israel had helped Singapore alot and Singapore have to pay back with unconditional support like U.S and U.K.

Another hypocrite who doesn't even know geography. He didn't know that part of Russia is in Europe and some part is in Asia.

Good answer ❤

The rule based international order made our foreign policy absolutely foreign.

He doesn't represent all Singaporeans and definitely not me

Why does a Minister talk about Morality, when he himself is having none of it -- Remember Ridout ?...

What is the rules based order? what rules are you talking about? complete nonsense.

sitting on the fence means sitting the fence dear minister.

Have the right to defend itself against woman

What took him so long to come to the conclusion that it went too far? Was it the death toll?

Judeo-Christians are not superior to Humankind. We are equal.

Please continue to support the Palestinian people. Especially people in the Gaza Strip.

Self Defence my foot! Occupied Land. What's u expected from Mama Minister. DOUBLE tongue 😊

I'm so disappointed to here this .

Is Singapore scared of the US? Yeah... Why?

Humanity aid is not wrong to help. This is not side to any country whether Israel or Palestine. The truth is Israel is over the rule and law war. (Israel war very far different if Compared to Russia and Ukraine war)

I am not interest to be sponsorship for singaporean.

*Honestly we have to be more worried about SCS tension cos that will affect us more*

Have the right to defend itself against children

Self defence it's OK but y killed the innocent!

Big brother of Israel in south east Asia....So Palestine hv no rights to self defend ?

222

Poda...... Are you going to condemn the attack by Israeli soldiers on Palestinians waiting to collect food?

Whatever religion one belong to. Irrelevant of race, language or religion. It is the doctrine and the teachers, mentor or leaders that lead them. In this instant War and invasions have been going on for centuries. Hatred and revenge already instil in their mindset. Hate the Jews .... bring back the past to World War 1. If bringing us back to history ... Palestinians are not the occupier of Gaza... again a coin have 2 sides，standing on the brim which depending on which prospective and angle we look at. Or which side one in favour . For me, 7/10 incidents trigger Israelis to start the War. With evidence of the underground tunnels and manufacturing of weapon of destruction underground. Worst raping young Innocent Israelis girls and butchered them after that. This is a very sensitive issues and I would not bring this subject to be discuss or taught in school if children are not mental prepared. - explaining what is rape and not killed but butchering. Worst it would depend on which side the teacher is on ...obviously topic of the rape of young Israelis girls and butchered will show that Palestinians are Barbaric not the Hamas. As they have similarly refer to Israel as Jews. But Israel are not totally Jews with multi religion and culture. Hamas is not Palestinians and Palestinians are not Hamas. But both stayed together in the same house under the same roof. Although their origins are from different places in Middle East. These people still in the tribal era or at that period call Nomad . . Mentality never change. Already being taught from very young on hatred and revenge in same school. Argument can go on. But that's all the views of the Leaders. But the leaders view does not represent its people as that's their views. When going to War. Leaders does not consult its people. Only start rally propaganda and conspiracies to justify and support their deeds. Then do damage control. All the people are watching news or fake news. Who cares......... End of the day is to see how the Leaders react and lead them. Remind me , As in the Lord's prayer: Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done, ( to me what I think is right and what I think should be properly carry out not to let other suffers by our deeds) On earth ( now) as it is in Heaven ( Future) Give us this day, our daily bread, ( To me, be contented in what we are or given to us and don't envy others to create suffering mentally in people ) . And forgive us our trespasses, ( just forgive others who have cross our path instead of carrying the doctrine of vindictive .Fear against whoever that crosses the path ) As we forgive those who trespass against us ( show example and listen to others views or prospective from different angles ) And lead us not into temptation, ( for me is have no hidden agenda of their own. .. greed ) But deliver us from Evil ( Avoid doing things against others will, for one day there would be a downfall ) Well again that my views in open and close bracket of the Lord Prayer to remind me of my daily conscious not to hurt other. But it is not easy to follow the Lord's Prayer. As all of us are human... believe that there is God then there is Satan. If believe there is Angels then there must be Devils. Not withstanding to understand our pledge..... To understand our pledge and say it without understanding no pledge at all... just lips service.if the Leaders doesn't lead themselves. As we go through our Journey Of Life.what are left behind are just past. What is in front are 6 planks of wood... some don't have that 6 planks of wood given to them. Argue till the cow comes home... born at the wrong time , born at the wrong place. Learn from one mistake. Carry along 6 planks of wood.A decency of our Life Journey.

Again with the 7th October bs!! 7th October vs 75yrs... u do the maths da deiii!!!!

Rom.8:28 ; 11: 25-28. Zec. 12:3. All scriptures must and will be fulfilled. There is no peace in this, accept in Jn. 16:33. Peace only ' In Christ '.

Singapore has always idolizes Israel.

Singapore needs to protect rules of laws and have higher morale.

Singapore is like little Israel surrounded by Muslim countries. The enemy is always frm the north but now it is also frm the south

I really admire the PAP govt.Spore stance is very2 right.Spore show the world.

All the global trends, all the international developments are all against West and Israel, and yet Singapore is allied with them. This is a BIG problem.

When you know that your girlfriend is so evil, it is time to break off or be seen as equally evil.

Bring back george yeo as fm.not a blindly pro usa fm who dont understand china socioeconomic culture.not good for a small red dot if u blindly antagonise china like lit tau wan just to appease ur godfather usa

*Wondering if hes well informed about that more than hundred innocent and starving civilians got killed by a heartless regime while waiting at the food truck*

What a load of garbage.

Two states.Really Please start from the begining 1948 The Nakba and not on 7 Oct on how these conflict began. I State of Israel is the aggressor from the beginning. Muslims,Christians,Jews already live peacefully before 1948.Singapore should learn from that.

Israel’s military response against Gaza is FAR from being far. Israel has the rights to defend itself. Of course ideally everyone can subscribe to a 2 states solution. Remember Israel disengagement from Gaza in 2005? Look what happened? Hamas, the de facto leaders, does not want a two state solution! Think! What would you do if you were Israel?

Fantastic! Another great accomplishment by the PAP govt once again. It's so obvious that PAP is the only responsible and reliable party in s'pore, taking every possible measure to ensure the safety and security of the people in the country. ❤❤