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Tag: Israel

  • Damanhuri Abas: Singapore Government Should Take The Opportunity To Highlight To Israel That Some Of Its Policies Are In Contravention Of United Nations Resolutions And International Law

    Damanhuri Abas: Singapore Government Should Take The Opportunity To Highlight To Israel That Some Of Its Policies Are In Contravention Of United Nations Resolutions And International Law

    The Israel-Palestine issue is an emotional one, especially for Muslims, said Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, who reiterated on Monday (20 February) Singapore’s support for a two-state solution in the Middle East.

    Speaking on the occasion of Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu’s first official visit to the Republic, Lee said, “I explained (to Netanyahu) why while the Middle East is far away from Southeast Asia, it has an impact on us and it’s of considerable concern for us.

    “We ourselves have a significant Muslim population who are an important part of our harmonious multi-racial society,” Lee said at a press briefing held at the Istana.

    Lee added that the two-state solution, however hard to achieve, is the only way to bring peace and security to the Israeli and Palestinian people.

    During his visit to Israel last year, Lee expressed Singapore’s views on the issue to Netanyahu, he added. Last April, Lee made an official week-long trip to the Middle East, which also included visits to Jordan and the Palestinian Territories.

    “Today, the Prime Minister (Netanyahu) updated me on the developments and I explained Singapore’s position again, and expressed my hope for peace between Israel and Palestine, which will contribute to a stabler Middle East and indeed a stabler world,” Lee said.

    Reactions from Singaporean Muslim professionals

    Speaking in his personal capacity, Damanhuri Abas, a businessman and a member of the Singapore Democratic Party, said the Singapore government should take the opportunity to highlight to Israel that some of its policies are in contravention of United Nations resolutions and international law, such as the continuous construction of new settlements in the West Bank.

    “By doing so, Singapore would truly be a worthy friend who is ready to use its friendship and diplomatic channels to remind and correct (Israel) where it is needed,” Damanhuri said.

    Dr Mustafa Izzuddin, a fellow at ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, said that despite the close bilateral ties, Singapore’s position on the two-state solution is guided by UN resolutions and the views of the international community.

    He added that Singapore’s position is also informed by domestic considerations of its “sizeable, largely pro-Palestinian, Malay/Muslim community” and the concerns of Malaysia and Indonesia, which are Muslim-majority neighbouring countries.

    “As far as the peace process goes, there will neither be peace nor will there be any meaningful process should there continue to be a right-wing government running the country of Israel, and the continuing increase in settlement activity which has rendered the two-state solution more or less dead in the water,” he said.

    Israel is Singapore’s “old friend”

    Calling Israel “an old friend”, Lee said that the relationship between the two countries started with defence cooperation when Singapore unexpectedly became independent in 1965.

    Israel responded to the Republic’s request to help build the Singapore Armed Forces and since then, bilateral ties have expanded beyond defence and security, Lee said.

    Netanyahu, who is on a two-day visit, said that he is amazed by Singapore’s growth and that the Republic and Israel are global partners in many areas.

    “I believe that our cooperation will make us even more successful and I think that the opportunities (between the two countries) are vast.

    “The future belongs to those who innovate. Singapore and Israel are innovation nations and together we can bring more prosperity and more hope and a better life for our people,” said Netanyahu.

  • Ismail Kassim: World Cannot Remain Neutral On Israel Oppression Of Palestine

    Ismail Kassim: World Cannot Remain Neutral On Israel Oppression Of Palestine

    With the arrival of Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu today for an overnight visit, let’s give him a warm welcome and also take the opportunity to look at the ME conflict in perspective and set the record straight.

    By now, it has become clear – to those who want to see – that the Israelis prefer to seize captured land rather than peace and have no compunction of oppressing the Palestinians and treating them as a conquered people.

    Under the circumstances, to stay on the side lines and to insist on being neutral is tantamount to supporting the aggressor.

    Let’s look at the record:

    1. By now, the Israelis have killed more innocent Palestinians than IS, Al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups have killed non-Muslims.

    2. More Muslims have died at the hands of IS and gang than non-Muslims.

    3. The main beneficiary of IS bloody rampage is Israel.

    4. The biggest losers everywhere are Muslims.

    5. I cannot rule out the possibility that this so-called IS Caliph is actually a Mossad and CIA agent.

    6. IS suicide volunteers have blown themselves up in vain.

    7. The Caliph and his followers can do the world no better favour than to blow themselves up.

    8. Hitler oppressed the Jews for about7 years but Israel have ill-treated and lorded over the Palestinians for more than 50 years.

    Should the world continue to stay on the side lines and remain neutral, satisfy only in making empty appeals, to both parties to resolve their conflict peacefully?

     

    Source: Ismail Kassim

  • Muslims Must Capitalise On Economic Leverage To Condemn Israeli Oppression Against Palestine

    Muslims Must Capitalise On Economic Leverage To Condemn Israeli Oppression Against Palestine

    From time to time, as a community, we tend to react when we feel There’s injustice done to certain groups of people we feel are oppressed.

    These may include the Rohingyans, Palestinians, Syrians etc.

    We do this by for E.g. Making Facebook postings on the issue. We share articles and memes portraying the injustices. We also start online petitions.

    These help in creating awareness of the issue. And it is a positive thing that we at least show empathy for our fellow brethren in faith that’s going through severe hardship.

    Beyond awareness there is little, methinks, by way of impact.

    I think collectively we do have some leverage. Economic leverage. What we can do for e.g. Is to join the BDS movement worldwide. In a nutshell, the global movement encourages boycotting of Israeli goods by way of peaceful protest against the oppression of the Palestinian people.

    Next time we shop, take a little time looking at the product barcode. Do not purchase items worth the barcodes beginning with 729 and 871.

    No need for petitions or writing letters to embassies. These are generally ignored.

    Let our wallets do the protesting. God willing it could lead to significant changes. BDS has scored some significant victories along the way.

    Let’s join the movement.

    At least on Yaumul Qiyamah we can stand in front of Allah azzawajal and say ‘Oh Allah. I am very weak. I’m swimming in sin. I at least try to help
    My Palestinian brothers in this small way. Please forgive me.’

    Remember that Allah azzawajal is al Ghafoor and ar Raheem. May He look upon us with Mercy and may He accept our deeds n forgive us our shortcomings n transgressions.

    Wallahualam.

    ***

    Please read previous posting. Additionally there’s some companies here you may wish to consider not purchasing from.

     

    Source: Syed Danial

  • Providing More Aid To Palestine Should Not Be Used As Bargaining Chip For Singapore Government To Invite Israel PM

    Providing More Aid To Palestine Should Not Be Used As Bargaining Chip For Singapore Government To Invite Israel PM

    Assalamualaikum,

    Bros i think we have heard the news by now – Israel PM is coming to Singapore. I won’t even mention his name because I think he is inhuman for all the injustices that he has sanctioned against our brothers and sisters in Palestine.

    In the past, the Singapore government has been very careful not to invite the Israel PM because they were sensitive to the views and conscience of the local and regional Muslim population.

    So what has happened? What has caused a change in the attitudes so much so that they don’t care about our feelings anymore?

    What i know is that every living Muslim cannot condone the presence of someone like the Israeli PM, who, by many accounts, can be counted as a war criminal.

    So what if they appointed Hawazi Daipi as a non-resident representative to Palestine? So what if they double the technical assistance package to $10 million? So what if we allowed high-level Palestinian officials to Singapore to learn from our experience? This gesture of recognizing Palestine and providing a large amount of aid should be a magnanimous one because it is only decent for us to help an oppressed people. Like how we helped our friends in Aceh during the tsunami.

    Don’t use it as a bargaining tool to justify the unjustifiable.

     

    Fuad

    Reader Contrbution

  • Petition: Protest Against Israeli Apartheid

    Petition: Protest Against Israeli Apartheid

    Under the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949, which prohibits countries from moving population into territories occupied in a war, Israeli settlements in the Israeli-occupied territories are considered illegal by the international community. The United Nations Security Council, the United Nations General Assembly, the International Committee of the Red Cross, the International Court of Justice and the High Contracting Parties to the Convention have all affirmed that the Fourth Geneva Convention does apply.

    Israel maintains that they are consistent with international law because it does not agree that the Fourth Geneva Convention applies to the territories occupied in the 1967 Six-Day War.

    Legal or Illegal, the ones who suffer the most are the Palestinians Arabs themselves. They live under conditions comparable to non-white people under an apartheid regime:

    ·       No right of free speech, assembly or movement

    ·       Arrest and imprisonment without charge or trial

    ·       Torture

    ·       House searches without warrant

    ·       Assassination, extra-judicial murder

    ·       No right to vote for the Israeli government (even though it controls their lives)

    ·       Israel controls all Palestinian borders, all imports and exports, and all movement between towns and cities.

    ·       The Gaza Strip, still surrounded, besieged and controlled by Israel, has been sealed off and effectively turned into the world’s largest open-air prison.

    With the recent Israel’s parliamentary approval of a controversial bill to retroactively “legalise” illegal Jewish outposts built on privately owned Palestinian land, things have gotten worse off for Palestinians.

    The so-called regulation bill paves the way for Israel to recognise thousands of illegally built Jewish settler homes constructed on privately owned Palestinian land in what opponents have dubbed a “theft” and “land grab”.

    The law retroactively legalises the construction, with the original landowners to be compensated either with money or alternative land – even if they do not agree to give up their property.

    We believe in justice and fairness for everyone, Palestinians,  Arabs, Muslims, Christians and Jews alike. If injustice is perpetuated in the lands, there will never be peace.

    We protest the injustice faced by the Palestinians who find day to day life difficult. Palestinian face continued severe poverty and chronic food insecurity. Due to restrictions, the economic situation of the Palestinians is dire.

    We demand that the Israeli government:

    ·       Recognise right of free speech, assembly and movement for Palestinians

    ·       Stop arrest and imprisonment without charge or trial for Palestinians

    ·       Halt house searches without warrants in the occupied territories

    ·       Stop assassination and extra-judicial murder of Palestinians

    ·       Give Palestinians the right to vote for the Israeli government

    ·       Recognise the rights of Palestinians and their legal status

    There will be no peace if people are not given their intrinsic rights to a normal life. Punitive and unilateral action by the Israeli Government has not and will not solve the issue, it will only exacerbate the situation for all parties involved.

    Every human deserves the basic right to survive. Yes, war is destructive, bombs can be blind, but the systematic denial of the right to survive on unarmed civilians, denial of aid to the populace in desperate need is unjustified.

    Support this petition, to show your support for Palestinians, to show your support for humanity. We sign this petition to show our solidarity against Israeli Apartheid, so that this humanitarian disaster and festering wound in the middle east shall heal and peace shall reign again.

    For more information, click here.

     

    This petition will be delivered to:

     

    Source: www.change.org