Singapore wants to protect local Jewish community from impacts of Gaza war: Shanmugam
“Our relationship with Israel, since the days of our founding, has been very strong. But that will not preclude us from taking a principled view on the actions of the different actors in the Middle East, at any point in time,” he said.
“And recent actions by Israel have been a cause for concern … not just to us, but to many in the international community, including the United States.”
He added that it is sad that a country like Israel, whose people suffered during the Holocaust and “centuries before that”, should be accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice.
“These will have an impact on the perception of Jewish communities around the world,” noted Mr Shanmugam.
“What is our task? I am very clear – we want to insulate, protect our Jewish community from these impacts, as much as we can.”
Passover, which begins at sundown on Apr 22, is one of the most widely observed Jewish festivals, commemorating the liberation of Jews from slavery in Egypt more than 3,000 years ago.
JWB president Nash Benjamin, who hosted Thursday’s celebration with Chief Rabbi Mordechai Abergel, said: “The leaders of the JWB feel that it is particularly important for us to continue supporting and strengthening the unique bonds we have in Singapore among different races and religions.
“Since its inception, the JWB has been a proud active participant in the IRO and will continue to do our part to promote religious harmony in Singapore.”
In his speech, Chief Rabbi Mordechai said: “We all agree that it is perfectly legitimate to share opinions criticising the policies of Israel as a state, and we are all entitled to our views in this regard, provided that such views are shared in a peaceful and respectful manner.
“However, the moment such criticism morphs into an anti-Jewish sentiment, there is great cause for concern.”
IRO council member Ameerali Abdeali told reporters that the Muslim community in Singapore has over the decades built up its friendship and comfort levels with their Jewish counterparts.
“We want to remain together and to help and protect each other,” he said, adding that they are all praying for peace not just in Singapore, but in the Middle East too.
He noted that maintaining religious peace in Singapore is an ongoing effort.
“There will be difficult times as it is now, but there will be other difficult times later on, and we will always be together,” he said.
