Singapore to sanction settler groups, but only recognize Palestinian state at ‘appropriate’ time

SINGAPORE — Singapore says it will impose targeted sanctions on leaders of Israeli settler groups and would recognize a Palestinian state under the right conditions.

Singapore’s Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, speaking in parliament, chides those Israeli politicians who have spoken about annexing parts of the West Bank or Gaza.

“We call on the Israeli government to cease settlement construction and expansion,” he says, citing the so-called E1 settlement project as fragmenting the West Bank.

“We oppose ongoing attempts to create new facts on the ground which undermine the prospects for a two-state solution.”

More details on the sanctions would be released at a later date, he says.

Balakrishnan says it was a matter of when, not if, Singapore will recognize a Palestinian state and that the nation is waiting for an “appropriate constellation” of factors, including a need for an effective Palestinian government that accepts Israel’s right to exist and categorically renounces terrorism.

“Ultimately, to resolve this long-standing conflict in a comprehensive, just and durable manner, there needs to be a negotiated settlement which results in two states, one Israeli (and) one Palestinian, with their peoples living alongside each other in peace, security and dignity,” he adds.