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Recognition ‘likely to harm’ Palestinians, says Singapore minister
K Shanmugam says Singapore is ‘prepared in principle’ to recognise a Palestinian state but doubts it would ‘change facts on the ground’
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Singapore’s Coordinating Minister for National Security K Shanmugam said on Tuesday that the immediate recognition of a Palestinian state would not change the “facts on the ground” in favour of Palestinians and could likely harm them instead.
His remarks came amid recent plans by Australia and G7 members Canada, France and the UK to recognise Palestine at the next United Nations General Assembly later this month.
More than 140 out of 193 UN member states recognise a Palestinian state. The United States does not, and in Asia, Japan, Singapore and South Korea also do not formally recognise Palestine as a sovereign state.
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Singapore has said since at least last year that it was “prepared in principle” to recognise a Palestinian state, and that it would do so at an appropriate time.
Shanmugam said: “You have to ask whether recognising Palestine very immediately, where there is no viable government and there is no viable two-state solution, hurts or advances the Palestinian cause.
“[If] you recognise – what counter actions do you expect, and how do you think that it’s going to actually change facts on the ground?” he added.
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