Singapore will open an embassy in Tel Aviv, its foreign minister announced on Monday, more than a half century after the two countries established diplomatic ties. A statement from Singapore’s foreign ministry said the new embassy will “serve as a focal point and support Singapore companies seeking to expand their collaboration with potential Israeli partners.” “I welcome the government of Singapore’s decision to open an embassy in Israel for the first time since the establishment of relations,” Foreign Minister Yair Lapid said in a statement. “This represents another testament to the good and unique relations between the countries.” The two countries have had diplomatic relations since 1969 and have since developed close security and business ties. Israel already operates an embassy in Singapore Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan is in Israel as part of a Mideast tour that has included stops in the West Bank and Bahrain. Singapore’s foreign ministry said its Balakrishnan told Lapid during their meeting in Jerusalem that their two countries “should deepen collaboration in emerging areas such as agri-food tech, health-tech, AI and digitalization, as the world emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic.” Balakrishnan also used the opportunity to reiterate Singapore’s support for Palestinian statehood. “Singapore hopes that both the Israeli and Palestinian sides would find ways to engage in direct negotiations on the basis of a two-state solution,” he said. Israel and Singapore have long enjoyed close military ties. The IDF helped Singapore create its armed forces after the country became independent in the mid-1960s. However, due to Singapore’s relationship with its neighbors Malaysia and Indonesia, neither of which maintain formal ties with Israel, the country tends to downplay its connections to Israel and its meetings with Israeli officials. Indeed, Israeli officials have said that the decision
U.S. Veteran Sues Tehran for $1B
A U.S. Navy veteran jailed for nearly two years in Iran is suing the Iranian government. In the $1 billion suit, the veteran alleges that he was kidnapped, tortured, and held hostage. According to the federal lawsuit, Michael White claims he suffered “prolonged and continuous” abuse during his time in prison, including being beaten and punched, whipped on his feet, deprived of food and drink, and pressured to falsely confess that he was a spy for the U.S. government. The suit adds, “Mr. White endured this trauma for nearly two years, never knowing if or when he would be released and reunited with his family, repeatedly promised that his conditions would improve soon, only to be crushed psychologically when they did not.” The lawsuit, filed in a Washington, D.C., federal court, has not yet been seen by the public. It was not immediately clear if Iran planned to respond to the complaint or if it had a lawyer dealing with the case.
Internment Camp to Become Historic Site U.S. President Joe Biden last week signed a bill designating a World War IIera internment camp as a national historic site. Over 7,000 people, most of them U.S.
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MARCH 24, 2022 | The Jewish Home
Singapore to Open Embassy
to censor Defense Minister Benny Gantz’s trip in October was due to explicit requests from Singapore. Singapore is Israel’s second-largest export destination in Asia after India. That is believed to include arms.
