Trump has to be commended ‘tremendously’ for pushing Israel and Hamas towards peace deal, says Shanmugam

The deal, if implemented, would bring the two sides closer than any previous effort to halt a war that has ballooned into a regional conflict, drawing in countries such as Iran, Yemen and Lebanon and reshaping Middle East dynamics.

However, Mr Shanmugam also urged caution, even with progress being made towards peace in the region.

“Media reports, headlines are encouraging, but at the same time, the media, many seasoned observers, are urging caution. Because in the Middle East situation – Israel, Palestine – it’s never done until it’s done. But we all hope that this will be done,” he said.

PALESTINIAN SCHOLARS

Mr Shanmugam was speaking to the media after meeting with three Palestinians who were offered scholarships to study at Singapore universities under the Palestinian Scholarship Initiative (PSI).

The initiative was launched in October last year by a group of Singaporeans, in response to challenges faced by students due to the war.

Two are in postgraduate programmes at the National University of Singapore (NUS) and Singapore University of Social Sciences, while another is a 19-year-old undergraduate at the Singapore Institute of Management.

A fourth scholar was unable to evacuate from Gaza in time for the start of the academic year in NUS, and the school will hold the spot for next year, PSI said in a press release on Wednesday.

Mr Shanmugam noted that the PSI was among a number of Singapore efforts to help the people in Gaza, including directly helping on the ground; the air force delivering aid and the government extending help.

The minister said he was approached some time ago by former minister Yaacob Ibrahim and Nanyang Technological University’s Associate Professor Walid Jumblatt, for the government’s support of PSI.

“I said ‘of course’. We support a free Palestine, and they are good students. We’ll be happy to have them here, and they can go back and contribute, because we all want to see a free Palestinian state, and that’s going to need administrators, it’s going to need people who can help run the place,” said Mr Shanmugam.

He added that he told the trio to “imbibe as much as you can, study hard and also absorb what Singapore has to offer”.

“When they go back, they are a bridge between Singapore and Palestine, and we wish them the best, and hopefully they can, when they go back, they’re able to contribute back to their society in very significant ways,” he said.