Singapore angry at Israeli guard for using flag as tablecloth
Security guard was photographed using the Singapore flag in a way that's considered derogatory, placing drinks on it; he was returned to Israel for fear that he might be indicted for the act, which is a crime in the small Asian nation.
A low-level security guard at the Israeli embassy in Singapore caused a diplomatic incident when he was photographed at a party in his home using the Singapore flag as a tablecloth.
The Foreign Ministry decided to send the guard out of Singapore, since his actions could be considered desecration of the flag, which is a criminal offense in the southeast-Asian state.
One of the guard's neighbors who lives in a higher-up apartment photographed what was going on in the Israeli man's balcony last Sunday, and sent the pictures to a local news site.
The photos show a Singaporea flag placed on a table, with bottles of alcohol and other items set on it. The embassy's head of security was apparently in attendance.
The neighbor filed a complaint with the police and gave them the photos. "These people have no respect for our country and flag. They come to our country in order to steal jobs, women, and they even think they can step on us and insult our sovereignty," he wrote.
Israel's Ambassador to Singapore Yael Rubinstein was summoned to the Singapore Foreign Affairs Ministry. The Israeli embassy then issued an official apology, saying that the guard's behavior was deplorable. The embassy further stated that the Israeli Foreign Ministry's director-general Dore Gold ordered disciplinary steps to be taken against the guard.
The Singapore Foreign Affairs Ministry stated that it accepted the apology, as well as the promise that disciplinary action will be taken against the guard.
