SINGAPORE: In a podcast episode of The Daily Ketchup uploaded on 15 May 2025, retired diplomat Bilahari Kausikan weighed in on the ongoing Israel-Gaza conflict and addressed growing public calls for Singapore to sever diplomatic ties with Israel.
Kausikan, who served as Singapore’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations from 1995 to 1998, appeared on the programme to discuss Singapore’s role in an evolving global order.
When asked whether he believed Israel was committing genocide against Palestinians, he replied: “Genocide is a term that you throw at somebody you don’t like. It means a deliberate attempt to eradicate a whole population, and I don’t think that is so.”
While acknowledging that Israel had been “very careless about collateral damage”, he argued that the debate over terminology was ultimately unproductive.
“This is a pointless argument because which side you take is emotionally driven,” he said.
“You want us to break diplomatic relations? Yeah, sure — but would it change anything?” he asked.
He noted that although saving lives is a worthy aim, it does not always align with a country’s national interest.
“Keeping people alive is a worthy goal, but it is not always a goal of your national interest. Your national interest may conflict with such goals,” he said.
Kausikan stressed that Singapore’s ties with Israel extend beyond defence cooperation to include research and development, management partnerships, and other areas that benefit Singaporeans.
“How do you know you’re going to be on the side of humanity? Because humanity is very hypocritical.”
He also questioned why Arab countries had not taken stronger action.
“If humanitarian reasons were the main driver, why did Arab countries not break ties with Israel? Why did they not take — or take only very reluctantly — Palestinian refugees?” he asked.
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“It’s Not Collateral Damage”: Netizens Slam Kausikan’s Remarks
Under The Singaporean Son’s Instagram post, Kausikan’s comments on the Israel-Gaza conflict attracted a wave of public criticism.
Many took issue with his suggestion that allegations of genocide were emotionally driven, and with his dismissal of civilian deaths as “collateral damage.”
Critics argued that such framing was intellectually dishonest and morally troubling, particularly in light of the scale of destruction and humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
One commenter pointed to Israel’s actions, including the expulsion of millions of Palestinians, the repeated bombing of tents, schools, and a small European hospital, and the starvation of the population.
They also cited statements by Israeli ministers and the ICJ’s ruling as evidence of genocidal intent.
Another called the dismissal of civilian suffering as “collateral damage” not only intellectually lazy but morally bankrupt.
Some questioned Kausikan’s credibility, saying that despite his education, he appeared blind to Israel’s openly stated intentions to wipe out Palestinians in Gaza.
They argued the attacks were intentional, not accidental.
Others described Israel’s actions as deliberate and driven by greed rather than emotion, citing investigations by the ICC and other bodies.
They stressed that essential needs like food and medicine were being denied and warned against hypocrisy and the risk of passing down inhumane policies to future generations.
One user summed up the criticism bluntly, stating that what is happening is genocide, and that by dismissing the term as something “thrown at someone you don’t like,” Kausikan had shown a lack of credibility, humanity, and awareness.
Public Calls for Singapore to Cut Ties with Israel
In April 2024, a group of Singaporean activists staged a peaceful protest at Gardens by the Bay, urging an immediate end to arms trade with Israel.
The group criticised the government’s continued engagement with Israeli defence industries, noting that Singapore had imported approximately US$73 million worth of military equipment from Israel between 2018 and 2022 — making it the tenth-largest customer of Israeli defence products.
During a Monday of Palestine Solidarity community-led initiative, several pro-Palestinian Singapore residents once again approached their MP to call on the government to sever diplomatic, economic, and academic ties with Israel — with particular emphasis on halting arms trade.
Israel has long assisted in the development of Singapore’s military and continues to collaborate with the Republic in areas such as education, industrial research, and business.
On January 2025, 124 students and alumni from the National University of Singapore (NUS) held a memorial to mourn Palestinian students killed in the conflict.
The event, organised by the student group Students for Palestine Singapore, aimed to highlight what it described as ongoing human rights violations in Gaza and the complicity of Singaporean universities through partnerships with Israeli institutions.
The memorial also called on local universities to sever ties with Israeli counterparts.
Government Response and Policy Position
Singapore has consistently supported a two-state solution and has voted in favour of United Nations resolutions calling for a ceasefire and greater humanitarian assistance in Gaza.
Nonetheless, the Republic has maintained its diplomatic and military ties with Israel, even as Israel faces mounting international criticism.
Speaking during the Committee of Supply debate in March 2025, Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan stated that chaos on the ground and Israeli security restrictions had made aid access into Gaza nearly impossible.
“We ourselves, as Minister Ng Eng Hen has emphasised, have considered how we can even deploy medical or humanitarian facilities, but it is not possible to do so safely,” he said.
“To the extent that our voice is heard, we will add to that chorus that says it is in Israel’s interest to make sure aid flows to the people who need help.”
Second Minister for Foreign Affairs Maliki Osman also responded to public demands to take stronger action.
“The Government feels this is not the most productive approach,” he said.
“We act based on what is in our national interests. It is not about choosing one side over another.”
He reiterated Singapore’s longstanding foreign policy principle of engagement over isolation, maintaining that keeping communication channels open is more effective than cutting ties.
The conflict, which began on 7 October 2023, has now entered its 19th month.
Between 7 October 2023 and 14 May 2025, according to the Ministry of Health (MoH) in Gaza, as stated by OCHA, at least 52,928 Palestinians — many of whom are women and children — have reportedly been killed in Gaza and 119,846 have been injured.
According to the UN, at least 1.9 million people – or about 90 per cent of the population – across the Gaza Strip have been displaced during the war. Many have been displaced repeatedly, some 10 times or more.
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