HUGE: Singapore to open its First Embassy in Israel

This move comes 53 years after the South-Asian Island state began relations with the Jewish State

By Nosson Shulman: Licensed Tour Guide of VIP Israel Tours & Authentic Virtual Tours (click here to check out his free trailer videos)

In a diplomatic victory for Israel, Singapore (one of the world’s leading economic superpowers) will be opening it’s first embassy in Israel, to be located in Tel Aviv. Singapore’s Foreign Minister, Vivian Balakrishnan, made the announcement on his recent trip to Israel during a meeting in Jerusalem with Israel’s foreign minister.

The South-Asian Island nation has actually had relations with Israel since 1969, made possible after the country gained independence from Malaysia (who to this day refuses to make peace with the Jewish State). The two countries share a special relationship, part of which comes from both being tiny nations surrounded by countries that are hostile to their existence. As with Israel, Singapore has a need for a strong military, which Israel played a large part in developing. The Singaporean military, including its national service program, is directly modeled after the Israeli Defense Force (IDF). Immediately after the independence of Singapore in 1965, military advisors from the IDF were brought to the island to help set up and train their fledgling military. Today, Singapore is the second largest Asian importer (after India) of Israeli weaponry, military technology, and hardware (such as tanks and fighter jets). Additionally, the overall trade between the nations, including high-tech equipment, electronics and computer machinery is worth several billion dollars annually!

Although relations with Israel have been strong for decades, Singapore has preferred to keep their relationship as discreet as possible, because of Singapore’s close proximity and relations with its Muslim neighbors, including Malaysia and Indonesia. This is why until now they have not opened an embassy in Israel (although they had an “unofficial” representative in Tel Aviv). However, with the Abraham Accords normalizing ties between Israel and four Arab nations brokered in 2020 by the Trump administration, and Israel’s improving relations with Turkey, Jordan, and Egypt (in addition to its growing profile in the wider Sunni Muslim world) having open relations with Israel is less stigmatized, and now Singapore is openly boasting about it’s ties with the Holy land.

Since the 19th century when wealthy Jewish traders from Baghdad settled on the Island, Singapore has been home to a small, but thriving Jewish community (at least 180 descendants of the original immigrants, who are mostly Orthodox, still live there). Currently there are a few synagogues, full time Rabbis, a Jewish cemetery, Mikvaot (Ritual baths), a day school, and kosher restaurants. For a minority group, the Jewish community plays a significant role in the country and antisemitism amongst the locals is virtually non-existent.

Nosson Shulman is a journalist and Licensed Tour Guide in Israel specializing in Biblical tours. To allow tourists to experience Israel during the Corona era, he created the new hit Israel tour video series which brings Israel to the home of viewers by simulating actual tours. To check out his free sneak preview tour videos, click here. To view sample tour itineraries or to inquire about private tour opportunities with a personalized itinerary on your next trip to Israel, click here.