I refer to the articles "PPP PROTESTS ISRAELI PM VISIT TO SG, URGED PM LEE TO REVIEW RELATIONSHIP WITH ISRAEL" and "REFORM PARTY MEMBER SLAMS S'POREAN MUSLIMS FOR ATTENDING IFTAR HELD BY ISRAELI EMBASSY" on All Singapore Stuff and TR Emeritus on the 20th February 2017 and 28th June 2016 respectively.
I am writing this letter not because I am anti-Opposition and pro-PAP. I voted for an Opposition Party in the last general elections in 2015 and am proud to count myself among one of the 30%. And I am writing this in the hope that all the Opposition Parties in Singapore will continue to play a constructive role in politics and policy making as it already is and continue to be an effective check and balance against the PAP in the long run. At the same time, I am writing to air the sentiments of the silent majority of many among the 30% and many others who would be disposed to voting for Opposition Parties in future elections on this issue - Singapore's relationship with Israel.
My concern, among many others, be it Opposition supporters and swing voters, is the increasing wave on anti-Israel sentiment and views aired by Opposition figures, past and present.
To us, this is a question of priorities and values. The current Arab-Israeli conflict involves Israel, the only liberal democracy in the Middle East, against the Palestinian Arabs, who are being led by factions and parties who have expressed the aim of wiping Israel off the map and establishing the domain of their own school of Islam, which would trample on the rights of many Muslims in Singapore and would be rejected by many among the Malay-Muslim community, not only in the land they call Palestine (which encompasses present day Israel, the West Bank and Gaza under Arab-Islamist rule) but throughout the world (see the Hamas charter). One may argue that the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank does not share the views of Hamas. But unfortunately, that is anything but. The Palestinian Authority has been found through documented proof through media watchdog sites MEMRI and PMW (Palestinian Media Watch) to air television programs and write textbooks, promoting genocidal anti-Semitism, especially that catered for children.
The Palestinian Authority has also named streets and public landmarks after terrorists who have murdered unarmed, innocent civilians, especially children. One may also argue that there are liberal Palestinian Arabs out there. But they have been repressed, even murdered by Hamas and the Palestinian Authority.
By supporting the Palestinian Arab narrative on the conflict, your parties and figures are inevitably supporting the radical causes and agendas of the pushers of the narrative, Hamas and the Palestinian Authority, which is anything but peace, co-existence, democracy and progress but the establishment of the dominance of their worldview and ideologies, especially through the barrel of the gun. Upholding their narrative is an injustice to the Palestinian Arabs whose lives have been senselessly lost in the cult of the suicide bomber through the narratives masking of these issues.
Standing up against Israel is not standing up for the little guy on the street. It is a myth the totalitarian regime of the former Soviet Union and its puppets in the then Eastern bloc trained the Palestinian Arabs to uphold as their narrative to fool and hoodwink gullible audiences all over the world to take up their agenda. It is nothing but blind following of anti-establishment trends which is closer to nihilism (rejection and rebellion against all things establishment) then legitimate questions on the established order. And the anti-Israel narratives, contrary to claims, are anti-Israel, even anti-Semitic in undercurrents.
In tone and substance, the narrative and claims serve the purpose of not standing up for the downtrodden but to delegitimise Israel, provide a case of why she does not deserve to exist and brand her into the next pariah, rogue state. A case in point, when the Thai, Myanmese and Syrian government undertakes and implements discriminatory, even brutal policies and measures against the Muslim populations are almost unheard off or at worst said as mere "courtesy", matter of fact statements at best, whereas Israel is perpetually singled out, with the tone and stridency similar to that used by Nazi Germany to justify the Nuremburg laws. If some still continue to hold that they hate Israel but not the Jews, perhaps they should check out George Orwell's narrative on this matter.
As an Opposition supporter and voter in the last general elections, I am writing this out of concern for the Opposition movement, because although many voted for the PAP, they voted not out of ill-will towards the Opposition (many voted PAP because they are unsure if the Opposition are ready to take the helm of governance yet). But if Opposition parties and figures take up anti-Israel positions, they will inevitably be driving many to the PAP out of concern that Opposition parties in general might take use parliament as a platform to give voice to radical causes and figures and if in power, lend support to radical and extremist groups and causes.
I would also urge Opposition figures to take up more pressing and severe humanitarian issues facing Muslim communities such as the Rohingyas and Uigurs instead of its current stance on Israel.
Thank you.
Philip Ong
ASS Contributor
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