TEL AVIV – Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan has called for a lasting peace in the Middle East and urged all sides to uphold the terms of
the fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas,
following meetings with Israeli leaders.
In his meeting with Israeli President Isaac Herzog in Jerusalem, they discussed the prospects for lasting peace in the region, especially Gaza, Dr Balakrishnan said in a Facebook post on Nov 6.
“Our sincere hope is that one day, Israelis and Palestinians can live side by side in peace and security – a development that would profoundly reshape the region and beyond,” the minister added.
As part of his four-day trip to the Palestinian Territories and Israel, Dr Balakrishnan also met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana, Opposition Leader Yair Lapid, and lawmakers Mansour Abbas, Avigdor Lieberman and Benny Gantz.
Speaking to Singapore reporters after the meetings, Dr Balakrishnan said they had “very candid, very frank exchanges”.
“Clearly, we have some differences of views with Israel,” he said. “At the same time, because of our longstanding relationship, I was able to convey these differences candidly, frankly, robustly, but still constructively.”
Noting that circumstances had shifted since his last visit in March 2024, Dr Balakrishnan said that with the ceasefire, the leaders he met had more bandwidth to think beyond the immediate pressures of the war and take a longer-term, strategic perspective.
