SINGAPORE: Israel’s ambassador to Singapore met Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam last week when he apologised for a Facebook post on Palestine that the embassy published in March.
Ambassador Eliyahu Vered Hazan said it was wrong for the post to have been put up, that it was not authorised by him, and that the officer responsible will be sent back, Mr Shanmugam said on Wednesday (May 8).
“And he said that this will never happen again,” Mr Shanmugam told parliament.
The minister was responding to a question by Member of Parliament Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim (PAP-Chua Chu Kang), who asked whether further steps would be taken in this matter and whether the person responsible would enjoy diplomatic immunity.
On Mar 24, the official Facebook account of Israel’s embassy in Singapore published a post containing claims comparing mentions of Israel and Palestine in the Quran.
The post said: “Israel is mentioned 43 times in the Quran. On the other hand, Palestine is not mentioned even once.
“Each and every archaeological 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 same day. Singapore’s Ministry of Home Affairs had informed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which told Israel’s embassy that the post had to be taken down immediately.
The minister said that the police received a report on the post, and assessed in consultation with the Attorney-General’s Chambers that “no further action was to be taken”.
“The Israeli embassy’s actions are covered by the principle of sovereign immunity,” Mr Shanmugam said on Wednesday.
According to the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, diplomats are immune from criminal jurisdiction in their host country, although immunity can be waived by the diplomat’s state.
The meeting with Mr Shanmugam was requested by Israel’s ambassador. The minister said: “I pointed out to him that embassies are entitled to have their point of view.
“But where what has been said affects Singapore, in this case the harmony and safety within Singapore, especially the security as well of our minority communities, we have to step in.”
Mr Shanmugam also provided an update on reports of alleged offensive remarks or actions against the Jewish or Muslim communities in Singapore.
Between Oct 7, 2023 and Mar 31, 2024, the police received 43 such reports, he said. A previous update stated that the police received eight such reports in October 2023.
