Singapore blocks entry, sanctions four Israelis citing West Bank violence

Foreign Affairs Ministry says actions committed in West Bank by Meir Mordechai Ettinger, Elisha Yered, Ben-Zion Gopstein and Baruch Marzel were 'unlawful' and had 'jeopardised the prospects for a two-state solution in Palestine'

Singapore will impose financial sanctions on four Israelis and bar them from entering the city-state, its foreign affairs ministry announced on Friday, accusing them of "egregious acts of extreme violence" against Palestinians in the West Bank.
The ministry said actions committed in the West Bank by Meir Mordechai Ettinger, Elisha Yered, Ben-Zion Gopstein and Baruch Marzel were unlawful and had jeopardised the prospects for a two-state solution in Palestine.
1 View gallery
דגלים סינגפור ישראל
דגלים סינגפור ישראל
(Photo: Shutterstock)
"As a firm supporter of international law and the two-state solution, Singapore opposes any unilateral attempts to change facts on the ground through acts which are illegal under international law," it said.
All four individuals have been previously sanctioned by the European Union.
Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan announced in parliament in September that leaders of Israeli settler groups would be sanctioned.
He also chided Israeli politicians who had spoken about annexing parts of the West Bank or Gaza and said the E1 settlement project would fragment the West Bank.
Apart from imposing sanctions, Balakrishnan said Singapore would also recognise a Palestine state under the right conditions.
While Singapore and Israel have shared close diplomatic and military ties since the former gained independence in 1965, the city-state in 2024 voted in favor of numerous resolutions expressing support for the UN recognition of a Palestinian state.
Comments
The commenter agrees to the privacy policy of Ynet News and agrees not to submit comments that violate the terms of use, including incitement, libel and expressions that exceed the accepted norms of freedom of speech.
""