Singapore announced on Friday that it will freeze financial dealings with four Israeli settlers and block their entry into the country, saying the men carried out severe acts of violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.
The foreign affairs ministry said the actions of Meir Mordechai Ettinger, Elisha Yered, Ben-Zion Gopstein and Baruch Marzel were unlawful and harmed efforts to achieve a two-state solution. All four have previously been sanctioned by the European Union.
In its statement, the ministry said Singapore “opposes any unilateral attempts to change facts on the ground through acts which are illegal under international law,” adding that the violence attributed to the four individuals has made peace efforts even harder.
Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan first signalled these measures in parliament in September, where he criticised settler leaders and warned against Israeli political statements that encouraged annexation of parts of the West Bank or Gaza. He also pointed to the E1 settlement project, saying it would divide Palestinian territory in a way that would make a future state unviable.
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Balakrishnan added that Singapore remains prepared to recognise a Palestinian state under appropriate conditions, underscoring a shift that has taken place as the conflict has intensified.
Singapore and Israel have maintained close diplomatic and military ties since the city-state’s independence in 1965. Yet Singapore has increasingly taken clearer positions in support of Palestinian statehood in multilateral forums.
In 2024, Singapore voted for several United Nations resolutions backing recognition of a Palestinian state and calling for adherence to international law, according to UN records.
Most of the international community considers Israeli settlements in the West Bank illegal under international law. Israel disputes this, citing historical links and security concerns.
The new sanctions put Singapore alongside the EU, the United States and the United Kingdom, all of which have targeted individual settlers over violence against Palestinians this year. Officials in Singapore have not indicated whether additional names could be added in the future.
