Israel-Gaza war: Singapore PM Lee Hsien Loong says ‘no alternative’ to 2-state solution amid ‘enormous tragedy’

Lee says a failure to implement a two-state solution would only result in a continuous ‘cycle of mutual destruction’
Malaysian PM Anwar Ibrahim says he backs any country’s move to bring a case against Israel to the International Criminal Court

Singapore

Bloomberg

Published: 10:46pm, 8 Nov 2023

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Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said there is no alternative to a two-state solution to ensure peace between Israelis and Palestinians, warning they otherwise risk endless conflict.

“There is no alternative to that,” he told Bloomberg News Editor-in-Chief John Micklethwait on Wednesday at the Bloomberg New Economy Forum in Singapore. Otherwise, “we are going to be in this cycle of mutual destruction for generations to come.”

Lee has urged a ceasefire, and his government in Singapore has banned the public display of emblems related to the Israel-Gaza war. He called the current conflict an “enormous human tragedy”.

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Singapore has taken a different position from the US, which is continuing its unequivocal support for Israel. US President Joe Biden urged Israel and Hamas to “pause” fighting to allow time to free hostages held in the Gaza Strip, while stopping short of supporting a full ceasefire.

Neighbouring Malaysia has voiced support for Hamas, which the US and Europe designated as a terrorist organisation. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has voiced support for Hamas, stoking anti-Israel sentiment that has shored up his domestic political standing.

Anwar said on Tuesday that Palestinians had the right to defend themselves against Israel, and Malaysia would not sever ties with Hamas because of US pressure.

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US efforts to restrict external parties from supporting Hamas are unilateral and Malaysia will not recognise it, Anwar told Parliament. Malaysian leaders over the years have held regular communications with leaders of Hamas.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres last month said the Hamas killings “did not happen in a vacuum”, adding: “The Palestinian people have been subjected to 56 years of suffocating occupation.”

Malaysia will back efforts by any country – as well as representatives of the Palestinian people – to bring a case against Israel to the International Criminal Court, Anwar added.

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Anwar compared Hamas with Nelson Mandela and the African National Congress’s push to end apartheid in South Africa, saying “Palestine is colonised through apartheid, ethnic cleansing and now genocide. Hence, whatever happened is the legitimate right and struggle of the Palestinian people.

“We continue our relations with Hamas, before and now,” Anwar said. “And we do not consider, punish Hamas as a terrorist organisation.”