S'porean father & son who volunteered with organisation linked to Israeli military in 2016 not involved in combat or military activities: MHA, MINDEF

Two Singaporeans, a father and son, who volunteered with the Sar-El Volunteer Corps in 2016, were not involved in any military activities with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).

The Sar-El Volunteer Corps describes itself as a “non-political volunteer organisation dedicated to supporting Israel”.

In a joint statement on Mar. 24, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) said the pair had been engaged by the Internal Security Department (ISD) in 2025.

Following this, the son removed a blog post he had previously published encouraging others to volunteer with the organisation.

The statement came after the blog post resurfaced on social media earlier in March 2026.

No action was taken against the pair for their activities in 2016.

Two-week volunteering stint

According to the ministries, the father and son volunteered with Sar-El for two weeks in December 2016.

During the programme, the father wrote to Singapore authorities to check if his son could participate as part of his school’s volunteer programme in the United States.

He explained that the programme was organised by Israeli volunteers and the IDF Logistics Corps.

He also acknowledged that Singapore law prohibits citizens from serving in a foreign military.

He said that Sar-El volunteers do not pledge allegiance to the IDF or Israel, do not take up arms, and are not involved in combat roles.

Instead, volunteers typically perform non-military tasks such as packing, cleaning, painting, sorting, washing, and cooking.

Based on this, he asked if his son could take part.

Authorities’ response

MHA and MINDEF said that Sar-El’s website at the time indicated that volunteers assisted the IDF, mainly by working in warehouses.

The programme also included guided tours and lectures on Israeli and Jewish topics.

Based on the information available then, authorities assessed that participating in the Sar-El programme did not amount to serving in a foreign military.

However, they emphasised that the son’s participation was not endorsed or authorised, and that he was doing so at his own risk.

By the time authorities replied, the father and son had already completed the programme.

Blog post and ISD engagement

Around 2018 or 2019, the son published a blog post featuring a photo of himself in a National Cadet Corps ceremonial uniform.

The post included links to his personal website and to the Sar-El Volunteer Corps (Singapore).

In 2025, ISD engaged the pair after discovering the post. Investigations found no evidence that they had been involved in military activities with the IDF.

The son subsequently removed the post, and both individuals are no longer involved with Sar-El.

No action was taken against the pair based on the facts known in 2016.

Not acceptable under current context

MINDEF said it has not assessed similar cases involving Sar-El since 2016.

However, Sar-El’s current website states that the organisation is “deeply committed to supporting the IDF”, with volunteers working alongside soldiers on military bases and contributing directly to Israel’s security.

Given this, the ministries said that involvement in such activities today would not be acceptable.

Action will be taken under Singapore laws against anyone whose involvement in such activities is found to be prejudicial to Singapore’s national security and interests, they warned.

No link to recent report

Separately, authorities said there is no information linking the duo’s 2016 volunteering to a recent foreign report.

The report, published by Declassified UK on Feb. 11, 2026, claimed that two Singaporeans may have fought for the IDF during the conflict in Gaza.

Top photos from Sar-el website