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Singapore prepared to recognise a Palestinian state with an effective govt that accepts Israel’s right to exist
- Singapore voted in favour of the UN resolution expressing support for Palestine’s membership, the foreign minister noted on Tuesday
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Singapore is “prepared in principle” to recognise Palestine as a sovereign state if it has an effective government that renounces terrorism and accepts Israel’s right to exist, Minister for Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan said in parliament on Tuesday.
He was addressing five questions raised by members of parliament about Palestine and Singapore’s aid in reconstruction.
Balakrishnan noted that, in May this year, Singapore voted in favour of the resolution expressing support for Palestine’s membership in the United Nations after “very careful consideration”.
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“This reflected our hope to encourage both Israel and Palestine to resume direct negotiations towards a two-state solution, at a time when in fact the prospects for such negotiations were increasingly bleak,” he said.
The decision was also in line with Singapore’s consistent support for the principles of international law, he added.
“Our vote at the United Nations General Assembly means that Singapore is prepared in principle to recognise the State of Palestine,” Balakrishnan said. “We will make this move at an appropriate time.”
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