Real negotiations, reconciliation and commitment are needed to resolve Middle East conflict: Vivian

TEL AVIV – For there to be a lasting solution to the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians, all parties must continue to talk to one another and commit to end the cycle of violence, Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan said on Nov 6.

Singapore engages regularly and has a good relationship with both sides, having built up trust, goodwill and credibility with both the Palestinian Authority and Israel, he added.

But it is also realistic about its influence, said Dr Balakrishnan, who underscored how the Republic knows it cannot shape the course of developments in the Middle East.

“A complete solution needs real negotiations between all the stakeholders, reconciliation, a commitment to peace, a commitment to not resort to violence, and the commitment to a long-term, shared future,” he said in an interview with Singapore reporters wrapping up his four-day visit to the Palestinian Territories and Israel, where he met several leaders from both sides.

Dr Balakrishnan said that progress on the recent ceasefire has been hopeful, and Singapore will keep channels open and offer help where it can.

While its circumstances are “vastly different” from those of Palestine and Israel, Dr Balakrishnan said he has always been struck on his visits to the region by how welcoming both sides are, not just to him, but also to Singapore and its officials.

“Clearly there is a significant level of credibility, and I would add, even trust and goodwill on both sides – Israelis and the Palestinians – (towards) us,” he said.

He previously visited the region in 2016, when he accompanied then Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, as well as in 2022 and 2024.

With such goodwill, Singapore is able to speak frankly to both sides and be taken seriously, said the minister, who noted that this stems from decades of steady engagement and consistent positions.

On Israel, Dr Balakrishnan said Singapore’s credibility with it dates back nearly six decades to the years after independence, when Israeli officers helped set up and train the Singapore Armed Forces.

As for the Palestinians, Dr Balakrishnan noted that since the Six-Day War in 1967 when Israel occupied the Palestinian Territories, Singapore has always voted in favour of a two-state solution, Palestinian self-determination and a Palestinian homeland.

More recently, 800 of their officials have been to Singapore for exchange and training under the Singapore Cooperation Programme’s Enhanced Technical Assistance Package (ETAP). They also view Singapore’s good relationship with Israel as useful, he added.

They see the Republic as a success story, due to how it has achieved unity in a multiracial, multi-religious and multilingual society, and economic success despite having no natural resources, he said.

“They are very familiar with us,” he said. “There is a personal familiarity and there is a relationship.”

While such relationships are important in diplomacy, and friendships can help reduce the risk of miscommunication or misunderstanding between parties, Dr Balakrishnan said such ties can never be a substitute for national interest, as diplomats must remain professional in advancing their countries’ goals.

As much as Singapore can play a constructive and helpful role, it also recognises that it cannot determine how developments unfold in the Middle East, added the minister.

“We must also be humble enough to know nothing that we say or do is actually going to alter the course of the war or the long-term trajectory of the Middle East,” he said.

Fragile ceasefire

On the ongoing truce in Gaza, Dr Balakrishnan said peace remains fragile.

The ceasefire, which began on Oct 10,

is the first phase of a deal brokered by international mediators to end two years of fighting and let aid in, and there continue to be killings and violent episodes that could lead to it unravelling, he noted.

Still, the fact that the ceasefire exists at all is a “tiny glimmer of hope”, he said. The next stage, he added, will hinge on whether the UN Security Council can agree on a resolution, and on how the Israelis, Palestinians, Arab countries and major powers respond to it.

Dr Balakrishnan said that the priority now is to ensure unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid to civilians. Currently, only one of the border crossings, Kerem Shalom located at Gaza’s southern tip, is working.

“My own view is you need more, and... what I look forward to is a completely unhindered delivery of humanitarian assistance,” he said.

Rebuilding Gaza will be a major task, and Dr Balakrishnan noted how the enclave is half the size of Singapore and much of its infrastructure has been destroyed.

“Can you imagine if half of everything that we have is destroyed? Just rebooting, restarting reconstruction will be a very major exercise,” he said.

Still, Dr Balakrishnan said there is reason for hope, adding that as long as lives can be saved and Singapore’s contributions make a difference, its efforts will remain worthwhile.

He pointed to efforts like the $10 million ETAP. The more than 800 Palestinian officials who have gained under this initiative have been trained in fields such as public administration, digitalisation and public health, and postgraduate scholarships have been offered in Singapore.

Dr Balakrishnan’s trip this week also included the

handover of a cheque for US$500,000 (S$653,000)

from the Singapore Government to the World Food Programme to support humanitarian needs in Gaza.

Asked what young Singaporeans could take away from his visit, he said he hopes they will engage meaningfully with people from different backgrounds, especially in regions marked by deep divisions.

Such encounters are vital to developing empathy and a deeper understanding of complex global issues, he stressed.

Dr Balakrishnan added that while online opinions may form easily, real insight comes from meeting people face to face and hearing their hopes, fears and anxieties.

“I wish young Singaporeans would meet and engage with a diverse set of people in the Middle East. Do not just talk to people who agree with you,” he said.

“Have honest, polite conversations. I cannot overemphasise the need to actually walk the ground, meet people, talk to them, find out what their fears, their hopes, their dreams and their anxieties are.”

NGOs bridging divides

Also on the trip were MPs Yip Hon Weng and Hazlina Abdul Halim, both members of the Government Parliamentary Committee for Defence and Foreign Affairs, who also had meetings with individuals and groups working across communities in Jerusalem and Ramallah.

Mr Yip said the engagements show that every bit helps. “What we do really reflects on the values that we have as a small country, the values of diversity, ability to empathise,” he said.

Such efforts, including technical training and scholarships, make a tangible difference, he added.

The delegation met several non-governmental organisations (NGOs) during the trip, including those that focus on health diplomacy and bring together Palestinian and Israeli medical professionals for training and collaboration.

Others, Mr Yip said, support mentorship and entrepreneurship programmes that cut across both communities. “These are areas that we can perhaps explore and see how best we can play a meaningful role to help,” he said.

Ms Hazlina said she was struck by the resilience and optimism of those they met, noting that some of the NGOs were focused on uniting communities.

These include those that support Palestinian families in East Jerusalem, and those engaging Orthodox groups in West Jerusalem, as well as those nurturing young people through education and social programmes.

“There’s this hope for learning, experimenting and really just hopefulness in the air,” she said.

She added that Singaporeans themselves expect the Republic to play a constructive role internationally.

“Our being here shows our commitment to do what little we can, in the way that we can,” she said.