Singapore To Sanction 'Radical' West Bank Settlers Over Violence

(MENAFN- Live Mint) (Bloomberg) -- Singapore plans to impose sanctions against leaders of Israeli settler groups or organizations responsible for acts of violence against Palestinians in the West Bank.

The Southeast Asian city-state will target leaders of“radical right-wing settler groups or organizations” that have been responsible for the violence, Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan told parliament on Monday. The details, he said, will be announced at a later date.

“Singapore's support for a two-state solution means that we will oppose any steps by Israel to extinguish or undermine such a solution,” he said.“If the situation continues to deteriorate, or if Israel takes further steps to extinguish a two-state solution, we will reconsider our position on recognizing a Palestinian State.”

“Israel's actions in Gaza have gone too far for too long,” he said.

The remarks come a day after Canada, the UK and Australia formally recognized a Palestinian state, joining a growing global consensus and pushing ahead with a policy that has drawn criticism from US President Donald Trump.

Singapore has stated it's prepared“in principle” to recognize the Palestinian state, but has stopped short from doing so. Balakrishnan reiterated the condition that recognition depends on a government that accepts Israel's right to exist and renounces terrorism.

Israel is moving ahead with a long-threatened ground operation into the heart of Gaza City after weeks of air strikes.

The city-state had long maintained close ties with Israel, even as regional neighbors such as Indonesia and Malaysia remain staunchly opposed to its actions against Palestinians. Israel helped train the Singapore Armed Forces in the country's early years of independence six decades ago, when Singapore was especially vulnerable.

Balakrishnan said Singapore will increase support for the Palestinians in preparation for eventual statehood and continue backing the Palestinian Authority's capacity-building efforts. He announced new Gaza aid measures that he said bring total humanitarian support from Singapore to more than S$24 million ($18.7 million).

--With assistance from Faris Mokhtar.

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