Singapore rebukes Israeli embassy's Quran reference on Palestine

Israel's embassy in Singapore has removed a controversial post from its social media account in which it attempted to justify illegal Jewish settlements on occupied Palestinian lands and ongoing attacks on Gaza by citing the Quran.

The post, which claimed that Israel was mentioned 43 times in the Quran but Palestine was not mentioned once, was posted on the Israeli embassy's official Facebook page on Sunday and removed the same evening, according to the local daily The Straits Times.

The post further stated that archaeological evidence suggests that the Jewish people are the indigenous people of the land.

Singapore's Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam condemned the post on Monday, calling it "completely unacceptable." He expressed being "very upset"" upon learning about it.

Shanmugam informed reporters that the Ministry of Home Affairs had called for the post's removal and had clearly conveyed Singapore's perspective, emphasising that such content is unacceptable due to safety and security concerns in Singapore.

"We instructed them to remove it due to potential consequences for Singapore's different communities," he said.

Shanmugam pointed out multiple inaccuracies in the post. "First, it is insensitive and inappropriate, carrying the risk of undermining safety, security, and harmony in Singapore," he said.

"Second, it is wrong to selectively use religious texts for political purposes; especially concerning the use of the Quran by the Israeli embassy in the current context."

Third, he added, the post is an "astonishing attempt to rewrite history."

Regarding potential risks to community harmony, Shanmugam mentioned Singapore's responsibility for the safety and security of all citizens, including minorities such as Muslims and Jews.

He noted the presence of a vibrant Jewish community in Singapore and warned that such posts could stoke tensions, endangering the Jewish community if online anger escalates to physical conflict.

While acknowledging embassy autonomy, Shanmugam emphasised that Singapore intervenes when safety, security, peace and harmony are at stake.

The minister said that the post's author should consider UN resolutions and evaluate Israel's actions against international law before attempting to rewrite history.

Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan also criticised the post as "highly inappropriate," emphasising that using sacred texts for political points is unacceptable.

The Israeli embassy removed the post following the criticisms.

Israel has launched a deadly military offensive in Palestinian territory following a cross-border attack led by the Palestinian group Hamas, resulting in approximately 1,200 Israeli deaths. Subsequently, more than 32,200 Palestinians have been killed, with over 74,500 injured amid widespread destruction and shortages of essential supplies.

The conflict has forced 85 percent of Gaza's population into internal displacement, exacerbating shortages of food, clean water and medicine. Additionally, 60 percent of the enclave's infrastructure has suffered damage or destruction, as reported by the UN.

Israel faces accusations of genocide at the International Court of Justice, where an interim ruling in January mandated Tel Aviv to cease genocidal acts and ensure the provision of humanitarian aid to Gaza's civilians.