Singapore's Minister for Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan said that the road to peace between Israel and Palestine is "going to be a very long and tortured journey".

While he remains pessimistic in the immediate term, Vivian said he, as well as the leaders he met during his recent trip to the Middle East, hold out hope that peace can be brokered between the two one day.

A hopeful pessimist

Vivian met with leaders from Israel, the Palestinian Authority, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, and United Arab Emirates during his 10-day working trip to the Middle East.

He has returned to Singapore and was speaking during a doorstop at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building on Mar. 25, 2024.

Vivian responded to a question from Mothership about whether he feels more or less pessimistic about the prospects for peace upon the conclusion of his trip.

He said he remains pessimistic in the short and immediate term, but is not giving up on the possibility of peace.

"But, you know, diplomats have to have hope, so you have to keep trying.

And everyone I met still expressed the hope that maybe in this darkest hour — maybe — you can find a new configuration, a new energy, a new commitment to make peace."

That said, Vivian remains clear-eyed about the challenges ahead and cautioned: "But have no illusions, this is going to be a very long and tortured journey."

Why Vivian and other Singapore MPs went to the Middle East

Vivian said the trip to the Middle East was "tiring, exhaustive, exhausting but necessary".

1) Facilitate humanitarian assistance

Vivian said there were several objectives for the trip to the Middle East, and the first of which was to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian assistance to Gaza.

Humanitarian packages containing meal packs, critical supplies and equipment were airlifted by the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) from Singapore and airdropped in Jordan with the Royal Jordanian Air Force.

This was the third tranche of aid that Singapore had delivered to Gaza, the two earlier ones had been delivered over land, Vivian said.

However, what is being done is not enough as the ongoing airdrops are just a "temporary emergency procedure" and the missions that had been conducted were "not sufficient".

Stressing that the situation in Gaza was not only dire, but frankly getting worse, Vivian called for the opening of land-based routes so that more supplies can be trucked into Gaza.

The plan is to continue to work with Egypt and Jordan to send aid into Gaza, Dr Balakrishnan said. “We need those links and to work closely with our Israeli friends, so that they can let it through,” he added.

In the meantime, Singapore will continue sending supplies to the region in hopes that more land-based routes will open, and continue working with Egypt and Jordan to send aid into Gaza, and Israel "so that they can let it through".

2) Consult Arab partners

Vivian's second objective was to consult and get a "direct download” on the conflict from Singapore’s Arab partners in the Middle East.

He said he was glad that Singapore was given full access at senior levels and shared candid, open views.

While he did not reveal the details of each country's position, Vivian said the Middle East countries do not all share the same views on the Israel-Hamas war as each country has its own "strategic calculus" and its own national interests to protect.

However, Vivian said there are some "common themes" and consensus in some areas, namely to stop the violence, release the hostages, and for an immediate and increased delivery of humanitarian assistance.

3) Convey Singapore's views to Israeli leaders

The last objective is to convey Singapore's view, and stress the need to step up humanitarian assistance, directly to the Israeli leaders.

Vivians said while Israel has a right to self defence, following Hamas' attack on Oct. 7, 2023, it has "gone too far" with its military response.

Despite Singapore's divergence in views with Israel, Vivian said Singapore will continue to keep the link open with Israel so that humanitarian supplies can reach Gaza.

Why Vivian and other Singapore MPs went to the Middle East

Vivian added: "We will continue to engage all parties, even across the conflict."

In the meantime, Vivian appealed to Singaporeans to not import foreign quarrels into Singapore's domestic politics or let external events become a divisive force.

He said the diversity in Singapore is both a strength but also a potential point for contention, and Singaporeans will just have to accept that we will never be insulated or immune to external conflicts.

Stressing that Singapore's comparative advantage is being diverse yet united, he called on Singaporeans to "reflect on ourselves and what we can do in our own small way and protect our own precious, fragile nation".

Top image from Mothership