FOR A MATTER of such importance and immense national interest, the Leader of the Opposition (LO) Pritam Singh must come out clearly on where his Workers’ Party stands on the issue of bilateral relations with Israel. Leave no doubt. More so, when Mr Singh raised the issue himself in Parliament on February 29 regarding supposed calls from residents to sever ties with Israel.
This clarity will be timely. Because Singapore needs to stand together as a people on key foreign policy issues which can impact our core national interests and unity. Whether it is the PAP or the Opposition, Singapore needs to stand firm, unemotional, and speak with one voice based on sound principles which protect our core national interests.
Curiously, LO’s actions on this matter of such national importance so far seems like cold conniving for political benefit. They do not inspire confidence. There is no official statement from the Workers’ Party about this particular diplomatic stance even as he raised the question in Parliament. In fact, Minister for Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan needed to press LO Singh in Parliament during Day 2 of the Committee of Supply (COS) debates in order to secure an acknowledgement that yes, Singapore’s foreign policy is better served by maintaining foreign ties.
From the debate proceedings:
Minister Balakrishnan: For your question on diplomatic ties, and I think that we both received the same emails, I detect from your question that you agree with me that we should not sever diplomatic ties even when the government of the day of another country may have quite a fundamental disagreement with us on policy. I am saying that I detect that you are agreeing with us. Can I seek confirmation that you agree with us?
LO Pritam Singh: Sir, short of re-characterising how I put my question, which I have thought through carefully. My query on diplomatic ties is that I would rather be in communication with the party, rather than not be in communication with the party. But the point I think was about how you respond when the other party takes a diametrically different position from your national position.
Minister Balakrishnan: I will interpret it as you agree.
LO Pritam Singh: No need to interpret. I agree.
LO Singh’s long process of admission — and not explicitly naming Israel at that — is similar to how the WP equivocated on calling Hamas’s October 7 2023 attack on off-guard civilians at a music festival “a military action”, not a terrorist act. Is this pattern a calculated attempt to fudge and avoid the issue so as to please some voters? Back then, the WP had to be pressed by the Government (Nov 6) before it could commit itself to condemning the terror attack.
The PAP’s stance is clear on foreign diplomacy. The Party sees the value of maintaining open channels of communication with all stakeholders in times of disagreement. This has let Singaporeans bring humanitarian aid to Gaza’s civilians since November 2023, and Minister Vivian also made good use of his time in COS to announce that a third tranche of aid is forthcoming.
Minister Vivian also was on Channel NewsAsia’s Singapore Tonight the same day as his COS speech. He highlighted the Party’s stance to all broadcast audiences watching. His Ministry released slides on social media explaining how successful foreign policy needs to be realistic and to build ties in multiracial Singapore’s core national interest — and that the only side the Government will take is Singapore’s side.
Interviews, slides and speeches are three avenues of clarity that take time to prepare. And looking at all of them now, one obvious question comes: Why didn’t LO just be unequivocal at COS or in any of their social media platforms? No statements have come forth so far – that yes, WP unequivocally supports maintaining diplomatic relations with Israel.
Was it really that hard, although potentially unpopular with the voters you and I know WP wants to court, to do the principled thing? To straight-out have the political courage to just say that yes (or no), actually the Workers’ Party believes that Singapore should (or not) maintain ties with Israel? From the words and deeds of Mr Singh in the last few years when he played divisive politics to win votes from a certain segment of the population, that is highly unlikely to happen.