The Israeli embassy in Singapore took down a Facebook post claiming "Israel" is mentioned in the Quran while "Palestine" is not after stirring controversy in a nation where 15% of the population is Muslim.
"Israel is mentioned 43 times in the Quran. On the other hand, Palestine isn't mentioned even once," the post read, claiming that archaeological evidence such as maps, documents and coins indicate that the Jewish people are the indigenous people of Israel.
Singaporean Justice and Interior Minister Kasiviswanathan Shanmugam criticized the Israeli embassy's post at a press conference, calling it insensitive, inappropriate and entirely unacceptable, and argued that it was an "astonishing attempt" to rewrite history.
The minister also claimed the post was "undermining safety, security and harmony" in Singapore. "I was very upset when I was told about it," Shanmugam said, "And the Ministry of Home Affairs spoke with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday and said that the embassy has to take the post down immediately, and they have taken it down."
According to Shanmugam, "The writer of the post should look at United Nations resolutions, see if Israel's actions in the past few decades have been consistent with international law before trying to rewrite history."
Shanmugam described the post as "wrong at many levels" and argued it could potentially strain tensions further - as the anger it incites could spill over into the violence and endanger Singapore's Jewish community."
According to Shanmugam, while his office generally doesn't intervene in online posts published by embassies out of respect for their sovereignty, he said that following discussions, the country's foreign ministry decided to demand the Israeli embassy to remove the post due to "potential consequences" on communities in Singapore.
He added that the post " selectively (pointed) to religious texts" to make a political point, and said it was "even worse" that the post by the Israeli embassy exploited the Quran for this purpose.
Israel-Singapore relations have been very close for many years. Relations between the countries were established in 1965, shortly after Singapore's separation from Malaysia. Israel has an embassy in Singapore, but Singapore established an embassy in Israel only a year ago.
Singapore is a strategically important country in Southeast Asia. Israel and Singapore have extensive security ties that began in the 1960s when Singapore looked for aid from Israel in setting up its military in secret. Israeli security delegations regularly visit the country.
The establishment of its military was so successful that nowadays Singapore's army is considered the strongest and most advanced in Southeast Asia. Singapore also relies on Israeli planning and establishment for its police force and prison services and is considered to be a major buyer of Israeli military equipment.