‘Politics must stop at the water’s edge’: WP agrees with PAP to call Hamas attacks ‘acts of terror’ after debate

SINGAPORE: On external matters where national security is at stake, political parties should not try to outflank the government “just to score political points”, said Singapore’s Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on Monday (Nov 6). 

Mr Wong was speaking during a parliamentary debate on a motion on the Israel-Hamas conflict, where he and Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan pressed Workers’ Party (WP) chief and Leader of the Opposition Pritam Singh to unequivocally condemn Hamas’ acts of terrorism. 

“Let’s not risk our precious unity for short-term political gain. Not when our collective security and fundamental interests are at stake. All of us owe this basic duty to Singaporeans,” Mr Wong said.

In a statement issued on Oct 18, the WP – as well as its members who spoke in parliament on Monday – had initially stopped short of referring to Hamas’ actions as terrorism. But Mr Singh eventually agreed with the description, as he reiterated the need for a united population when it comes to matters of national security.  

The WP in its earlier statement had called for an immediate end to hostilities in the region and the delivery of humanitarian aid into the Hamas-governed Gaza Strip; and referred to the surprise Oct 7 attack on Israel as a “military operation” by the Palestinian militant group. At the time, it did not condemn the Oct 7 attack on Israel by Hamas. 

Separately, the Progress Singapore Party – the other opposition party represented in parliament – set out its position on the war in a Facebook post on Oct 30, saying it “unequivocally condemns violence against innocent civilians”.

In his speech on Monday, Mr Singh said Hamas’ actions on Oct 7 were “atrocities committed against innocent civilians” that cannot be supported.

Fellow party member Gerald Giam (WP-Aljunied) also said Hamas’ killing of 1,400 people and taking of more than 240 hostages cannot be justified and must be unequivocally condemned. 

In their respective speeches, Mr Wong and Dr Balakrishnan also condemned the Oct 7 attack, and said there could be no excuse or justification for the wanton acts of violence and terrorism by Hamas, even though Singapore empathises with the historical grievances of the Palestinian people. 

“Let’s be clear: it is in our national interest to (condemn the Hamas attack). To compromise on this stand would be to compromise our own security,” said Mr Wong. 

He also affirmed Israel’s right to defend itself, noting that in doing so, it must comply fully with international humanitarian law and the rules governing the conduct of war.