Introduction

As US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss the future of Gaza—including ambitious plans for a reconstructed territory featuring residential towers, data centers, and seaside resorts—Singapore finds itself navigating a complex web of diplomatic, economic, social, and security challenges arising from this distant yet deeply consequential conflict.

The ongoing Gaza crisis, which has claimed over 71,000 Palestinian lives since October 2023, represents far more than a regional Middle Eastern conflict for Singapore. It constitutes a multidimensional test of the city-state’s social cohesion, diplomatic balancing act, regional relationships, and national security architecture.

US Envoy Visit

• Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday to discuss Gaza’s future
• The US announced plans for a “New Gaza” project on Thursday, involving reconstruction with residential towers, data centers, and seaside resorts
• This is part of President Trump’s efforts to advance an October 2025 ceasefire between Israel and Hamas

Violence Continues

• Despite the ceasefire, violations persist
• Palestinian Health Ministry reports 3 people killed Saturday (including 2 children) in northern Gaza
• Total death toll since the war began: 71,654 people, with 481 deaths since the October ceasefire

Border Crossing Plans

• The Rafah border crossing is expected to open next week, according to Ali Shaath, head of a US-backed transitional committee
• Israel wants to control the flow of Palestinians through the Egypt border, allowing more people to exit than enter
• The crossing has been under Israeli military control since 2024

Ceasefire Phases

• The conflict began with Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack that killed 1,200 Israelis
• The peace plan has moved into its second phase, which calls for further Israeli troop withdrawal and Hamas yielding administrative control of Gaza

The situation remains fragile despite diplomatic efforts to establish lasting peace.

Social Fabric Under Strain: Managing Internal Harmony

The Delicate Balance

Singapore’s multicultural composition—75.6% ethnic Chinese, 15.1% Malays (predominantly Muslim), and 7.6% Indians—creates unique vulnerabilities when global conflicts take on religious or ethnic dimensions. Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam has acknowledged a clear divide in reactions between the Malay-Muslim community and Jewish and Christian communities, with many in the Malay-Muslim community perceiving injustice in Gaza while the Jewish community feels deeply affected by Hamas’ October 7, 2023 attack.

Between October 7, 2023 and March 31, 2024, police received 43 reports regarding alleged offensive remarks or actions targeted at members of the Jewish or Muslim communities in Singapore. This represents a significant uptick in intercommunal tensions that authorities have worked decades to prevent.

Government Response: Prevention Over Reaction

Unlike many global cities that witnessed mass demonstrations, Singapore has maintained strict control over public expressions related to the conflict. The government rejected five applications to use Speakers’ Corner for Gaza-related events, citing heightened sensitivities compared to the 2014 conflict. Authorities warned against public display of foreign national emblems relating to the conflict and advised caution regarding fundraising activities.

This approach stems from Singapore’s traumatic historical memory. The 1964 racial riots between Malay-Muslim and Chinese communities serve as a persistent reminder of how external conflicts can ignite domestic violence. As Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong noted, extremist and terrorist groups in the region are expected to use the Gaza conflict to rile up sentiments and radialize individuals, with regional internet traffic on extremist sites increasing threefold since the conflict began.

Community-Level Engagement

Rather than suppress all discourse, Singapore has channeled discussions through controlled, constructive channels. Religious leaders have played crucial roles in maintaining harmony. Singapore’s Mufti Ustaz Dr Nazirudin Mohd Nasir wrote to Chief Rabbi Mordechai Abergel early in the conflict, with both expressing empathy and solidarity with one another. The Inter-Religious Organisation brought together various faith leaders to pray for peace and civilian safety in both Israel and Gaza.

The Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS) issued religious guidance to help the Muslim community process information about the conflict constructively, addressing concerns about radicalization. Religious leaders have reported receiving questions from youths about boycotting Israeli-linked products, with some young people even quitting jobs at companies they perceive as having Israeli affiliations.

Diplomatic Tightrope: Balancing Principles and Pragmatism

Historical Context: The “Israel in a Malay-Muslim Sea”

Singapore’s relationship with Israel has long been characterized by pragmatic necessity tempered by regional sensitivities. Following independence in 1965, founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew frequently described Singapore’s position as an “Israel in a Malay-Muslim sea,” modeling the Singapore Armed Forces after Israel’s defense structure.

However, Singapore has carefully maintained this relationship at a low profile to avoid antagonizing Muslim-majority neighbors Malaysia and Indonesia, neither of which recognizes Israel diplomatically.

Current Diplomatic Posture

Singapore’s response to the current conflict demonstrates sophisticated diplomatic positioning:

Condemnation of Hamas: Singapore unequivocally condemned the October 7, 2023 terrorist attacks and affirmed Israel’s right to self-defense.

Criticism of Israeli Actions: By early 2024, Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan stated that while Israel had a right to self-defense, excessive military action since then has exacerbated the humanitarian situation and prolonged civilian suffering. By July 2025, Singapore publicly condemned Israel for the first time, calling its denial of humanitarian aid a violation of international humanitarian law.

Two-State Solution Advocacy: Singapore consistently advocates for a negotiated two-state solution as the only viable pathway to lasting peace.

Readiness for Palestinian Recognition: In July 2025, Singapore announced it is “prepared in principle” to recognize Palestine as a state, emphasizing such recognition should promote peace through a negotiated two-state solution.

Regional Diplomacy: The Malaysia Factor

Singapore’s position is significantly influenced by its relationship with neighboring Malaysia. At the 10th Singapore-Malaysia Leaders’ Retreat in October 2023, Prime Ministers Lee Hsien Loong and Anwar Ibrahim agreed their different diplomatic positions on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict should not affect bilateral relations—a crucial understanding given Malaysia’s vehement support for Palestine and ties to Hamas leadership.

This diplomatic achievement reflects Singapore’s skill in compartmentalizing foreign policy disagreements to preserve vital bilateral relationships.

Humanitarian Response: Action Beyond Words

Despite geographic distance, Singapore has mounted a substantial humanitarian effort for Gaza civilians:

Financial Contributions

To date, nine tranches of aid worth over S$22 million have been contributed by Singapore and Singaporeans. Public fundraising through organizations like the Rahmatan Lil Alamin Foundation has demonstrated cross-community solidarity, with Muslims and non-Muslims alike contributing to relief efforts.

Military Logistics

The Singapore Armed Forces deployed Republic of Singapore Air Force C-130 transport aircraft to conduct airdrop operations delivering humanitarian assistance to Gaza. These were real operational missions conducted in challenging conditions, demonstrating Singapore’s commitment despite the risks involved.

Capacity Building for Palestinian Authority

Singapore maintains a S$10 million Enhanced Technical Assistance Package supporting training programs for the Palestinian Authority in public administration, digitalization, and finance, preparing Palestinians for eventual statehood. This includes:

• Expanded undergraduate and postgraduate scholarships for Palestinian students
• Training opportunities for Palestinian bureaucrats
• A joint program with Japan to train Palestinian Civil Police officers in community policing
• A Young Leaders Programme sharing Singapore’s experiences in governance

Foreign Minister Balakrishnan has highlighted that Gaza, being about half the size of Singapore with a population one-third of Singapore’s, makes Singapore’s development experience particularly relevant.

Economic Impact: Limited but Monitored

Direct Trade Exposure

Deputy Prime Minister and Trade Minister Gan Kim Yong stated the direct impact of the widening Middle East conflict on Singapore’s economy has been limited, as the countries involved are not Singapore’s major trading partners.

Israeli ports handle only about 0.4% of the world’s container throughput, meaning disruptions to global trade flows remain minimal from this specific channel.

Indirect Economic Risks

However, Singapore remains vigilant about potential spillover effects:

Energy Market Volatility: Greater regional tensions would impact international energy markets, commercial aviation, and global supply chains. As the world’s fifth-largest refinery and export hub, Singapore’s petrochemical sector could benefit from higher oil prices, but this comes with upside inflation risks.

Regional Escalation Scenarios: Should the conflict expand into a broader regional war involving Iran, impacts on oil and food prices could be significant. The Middle East produces 35% of the world’s oil exports and 14% of gas exports.

Singaporeans and Companies Abroad: A wider conflict would have serious implications for Singaporeans living in the Middle East and Singaporean companies operating in the region.

Security Implications: The Radicalization Threat

Domestic Security Concerns

The Gaza conflict presents direct national security challenges for Singapore:

Self-Radicalization: In recent years, Singapore has detained three radicalized young individuals, two of whom were enraged by the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and had planned to join Hamas. The current conflict heightens these risks significantly.

Regional Extremism: Singapore has observed an uptick in anti-Singapore rhetoric, including violent threats against Singapore by regional extremist elements online since the conflict started.

Foreign Worker Population: With approximately 1.5 million foreign workers in Singapore, including almost one million from Malaysia, authorities must manage potential cross-border sentiment spillover carefully.

Counterterrorism Preparedness

DPM Wong emphasized the Gaza conflict serves as a reminder for Singapore’s own security preparedness. The surprise Hamas attack that caught Israel off guard reinforces why Singapore must always remain vigilant and maintain robust defense capabilities to respond to terror attacks.

Strategic Considerations: Singapore’s “Friend to All” Approach

The Value Proposition

Singapore’s balanced approach serves multiple strategic objectives:

Regional Stability: Avoiding antagonization of Muslim-majority ASEAN neighbors while maintaining necessary defense relationships with Israel.

International Credibility: Demonstrating principled foreign policy based on international law and humanitarian concerns rather than expedient alignment.

Soft Power Projection: Using humanitarian assistance and capacity building to strengthen diplomatic relationships across the Middle East.

Domestic Harmony Preservation: Managing internal tensions through careful messaging and community engagement.

Unique Diplomatic Access

Foreign Minister Balakrishnan has been able to visit the UAE, Egypt, Palestinian Territories, and Israel all in the same trip, listening to multiple perspectives—a diplomatic achievement reflecting Singapore’s carefully cultivated relationships across all sides.

This access positions Singapore as a potential facilitator for dialogue, even if its direct influence on the conflict remains limited given its size and geographic distance.

Looking Ahead: The “New Gaza” and Singapore’s Role

Reconstruction Opportunities

The US announcement of plans for a rebuilt “New Gaza” with residential towers, data centers, and seaside resorts presents potential opportunities for Singaporean involvement:

Technical Expertise: Singapore’s experience in urban planning, water management, port development, and creating a modern city-state from limited land could be valuable to Gaza’s reconstruction.

Capacity Building: Singapore stands ready to support training programs in Gaza through its Enhanced Technical Assistance Package, in collaboration with the Palestinian Authority.

Neutral Facilitator: Singapore’s balanced diplomatic position could enable it to play a constructive role in reconstruction efforts that require cooperation from multiple parties.

Challenges and Realism

However, significant obstacles remain:

Ceasefire Fragility: With 481 deaths reported since the October ceasefire and ongoing violations, the fundamental conditions for reconstruction remain uncertain.

Political Complexity: The second phase of the ceasefire plan requires Israeli troop withdrawal and Hamas yielding administrative control—both contentious steps.

Regional Dynamics: Iran’s role, Hezbollah’s position in Lebanon, and broader Middle Eastern power dynamics all complicate reconstruction prospects.

Foreign Minister Balakrishnan has emphasized the need for realism about Singapore’s role, acknowledging the complexity and deep historical entanglements of the Middle East conflict. What Singapore can do from afar is encourage parties toward permanent ceasefire and longer-term solutions while providing practical assistance where possible.

Lessons for Singapore’s Resilience

Social Cohesion as National Security

The Gaza conflict reinforces that Singapore’s multicultural harmony cannot be taken for granted. As Foreign Minister Balakrishnan noted when engaging with Middle Eastern partners, the composition of Singapore’s diverse delegation working constructively together intrigues Palestinian and Arab leaders, providing extra resonance to Singapore’s capacity-building offers.

Singapore’s ability to maintain internal stability while global conflicts rage serves as both a diplomatic asset and a fragile achievement requiring constant nurturing.

The Singapore Model’s Relevance

References to Gaza potentially becoming “a Singapore of the Middle East” have appeared repeatedly in international discourse since 1988. Even late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat expressed aspirations for Palestine to achieve Singapore-like development.

This recognition of Singapore’s success story provides both opportunity and responsibility—opportunity to share developmental experience, and responsibility to demonstrate that multiracial, multireligious societies can thrive despite external pressures.

Conclusion

As US envoys discuss Gaza’s future with Israeli leadership, Singapore confronts a distant conflict with immediate local ramifications. The city-state’s response—balancing diplomatic principles with pragmatic relationships, managing internal diversity while engaging externally, providing humanitarian assistance while maintaining security vigilance—exemplifies the complex calculations small states must make in an interconnected world.

Foreign Minister Balakrishnan’s message to both Israelis and Arabs encapsulates Singapore’s position: if you want a one-state solution, your delegation must look like Singapore’s multiracial, multireligious composition—yet everyone acknowledges this isn’t possible, which is why a two-state solution remains necessary.

For Singapore, Gaza represents simultaneously a humanitarian tragedy requiring compassion, a diplomatic challenge requiring nuance, a social cohesion test requiring vigilance, and a reminder that the nation’s own hard-won stability remains precious, fragile, and always at risk. The path forward requires Singapore to continue its “friend of all, enemy of none” approach while never forgetting that the ultimate guardianship of its multicultural harmony rests with Singaporeans themselves.