Singapore Forces Israel to Erase Inappropriate Palestinian Post
- FB K Shanmugam
Singapore – Singaporean authorities have forced the Israeli embassy to remove a controversial post on its official Facebook page which was used to justify the existence of the occupation state.
The post, which was published yesterday and removed the same day, asserted that “Israel is mentioned 43 times in the Quran.
On the other hand, Palestine is not mentioned even once. The post went on to say that archaeological evidence such as maps, documents and coins show that Jewish people are the indigenous people of the land.
However, Minister for Law and Home Affairs K. Shanmugam branded it an astonishing attempt to rewrite history, and said the post was “insensitive,” “inappropriate” and “completely unacceptable” as it carried the risk of undermining safety, security and harmony in the Southeast Asian country.
Bendera Israel dan Palestina.
- Unsplash
Shanmugam said the Ministry of Home Affairs had spoken with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday and said the embassy had to take the post down immediately.
“We told them to take it down because of the potential consequences for the different communities within Singapore,” he explained, as reported from Middle East Monitor site.
“It is wrong to selectively point to religious texts, to make a political point. Even worse, in this current situation, for the Israeli embassy to make use of the Quran for this purpose,”
According to the Times, citing a spokesman for the Israel embassy, the post had been put up without the necessary approvals and that the person responsible has been punished.
“The Israel Embassy respects religion and racial harmony in Singapore – we have already taken action against the relevant person,” he said.
Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan also condemned the post, stating that “It is highly inappropriate to refer to sacred texts to make political points. We have made this clear to the embassy, which has taken the post down.”
