Singapore's recognition of Palestinian state 'not a question of if, but when', says Faishal Ibrahim
Singapore may not recognise Palestine today, but the country will not be "silent onlookers" to the tragedy in Gaza, says Acting Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Faishal Ibrahim.
Singapore Acting Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Faishal Ibrahim speaks in parliament on Sep 22, 2025.
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SINGAPORE: The recognition of a Palestinian state is not a question of if, but when, Acting Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim said in parliament on Monday (Sep 22).
Delivering a ministerial statement on the situation in the Middle East, Associate Professor Faishal said he understood that the question of whether Singapore should move to recognise Palestine has been on Singaporeans' minds.
In the Malay portion of his speech, he said he would like to offer his assurance that the recognition of a Palestinian state is indeed "what we hope for and are working towards", an English translation stated.
"That has always been Singapore’s position to ensure enduring peace for the people of Israel and Palestine. This is not a question of if, but when," he added in Malay.
"We may not recognise Palestine today, but I would like to make clear to Singaporeans that we have not been – and will not be – silent onlookers to the tragedy unfolding in Gaza."
Referring to Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan's ministerial speech earlier, Assoc Prof Faishal reiterated Singapore’s position that the Palestinian people have a right to their own homeland and to self-determination.
"This has been our consistent stance for decades. We have also, for many years, insisted that only a negotiated two-state solution can deliver a comprehensive, just, and durable solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict."
He said that Singaporeans were "horrified and saddened" by the latest developments.
Assoc Prof Faishal said Singapore's parliament first discussed the matter on Nov 6, 2023, when it condemned the terrorist attacks by Hamas and its actions on Oct 7, 2023. Palestinian militant group Hamas' attack on Israel triggered the current war in Gaza, which has gone on for nearly two years.
The situation has evolved with Israel's actions "disproportionate and unacceptable", Assoc Prof Faishal said, noting the "horrifying" bombardment of Gaza, and the widespread starvation.
"The Palestinians, including women and children, have to risk their lives in an active war zone just to get food. More than 1,000 have already been killed in violent, chaotic food distributions," he said.
He called the forced displacement of Palestinians "morally reprehensible" and an "offence against humanity".
He noted that 1.9 million Palestinians have had to flee their homes since the war began, and more than 750,000 since the ceasefire in March.
"Yet the Israeli government has chosen to compound this tragedy by moving ahead with settlement projects in the West Bank. These are illegal under international law.
"By any yardstick, the actions by Israel are unjustifiable and may even be a breach of international humanitarian law. They are certainly against morality. Israel has the right to defend itself, but, as PM (Lawrence Wong) said back in May, it has now gone too far."
Assoc Prof Faishal said Singapore's foreign policy has to take into consideration international complexities and its own national interests.
He thanked Malay-Muslim Members of Parliament and community leaders for rallying Singaporeans "of all races and religions to contribute generously to our humanitarian and capacity building efforts", and local non-governmental organisations
He reiterated that Singapore would not be "silent onlookers" to the tragedy in Gaza, adding that the country will intensify humanitarian assistance to alleviate the suffering of Palestinians.
Dr Balakrishnan said Singapore has contributed 10 tranches of humanitarian aid, bringing the total humanitarian assistance to more than S$24 million (US$18.7 million).
In the 10th tranche, Singapore will support Egyptian hospitals treating injured Palestinians.
A team of Singaporean doctors and clinicians is currently in Cairo to support the Nasser Institute in case consultations, and the Singapore Armed Forces has deployed two liaison officers in Cairo to coordinate Singapore’s assistance in-theatre.
Among other efforts, Singapore will provide prosthetic supplies to those being treated, and US$500,000 to the World Food Programme’s efforts to fight hunger in Gaza.
Assoc Prof Faishal said that Singapore will continue to extend practical support to the Palestinian Authority’s capacity-building efforts, in preparation for eventual statehood.
