Singapore says no action against father-son duo over Israel-linked volunteering, warns such involvement now unacceptable

Singapore says no action against father-son duo over Israel-linked volunteering, warns such involvement now unacceptable



Singapore authorities say no action was taken against a father and son over past overseas volunteering, but warn similar involvement today could breach the law. — Reuters pic

Wednesday, 25 Mar 2026 10:08 AM MYT


SINGAPORE, March 25 — Singapore authorities have cleared a father and son who volunteered with an Israel-linked organisation nearly a decade ago, but warned that similar involvement today would not be tolerated under current laws.

Singapore’s Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and Ministry of Defence (Mindef) said the pair’s 2016 stint with the Sar-El Volunteer Corps did not amount to military service, after investigations found they “were not involved in any military activity with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF)”, according to The Straits Times.

The clarification came after a blog post written by the son resurfaced online earlier this month, prompting scrutiny over Singaporeans’ possible links to foreign military groups.

Authorities said the duo had volunteered for about two weeks in December 2016, performing non-combat tasks such as “packing, painting, sorting, cleaning, washing and cooking”.

At the time, the father had written to Singapore authorities to check if his son could take part in the programme as part of a school volunteering requirement. Based on the information available then, officials assessed that participation “did not constitute service in a foreign military”.

However, by the time a response was issued, both had already completed the stint.

The ministries stressed that the son’s participation “was not endorsed or authorised” and was undertaken “of his own volition, with full awareness of the risks involved”.


The issue resurfaced after a blog post written between 2018 and 2019 — which included references to Sar-El and encouraged volunteering — began circulating again on social media in March. Following engagement by Singapore’s Internal Security Department in 2025, the post was taken down.

Despite the renewed attention, authorities said no action was taken against the pair based on the facts known at the time.

Still, Singapore has drawn a sharper line going forward.

MHA and Mindef noted that Sar-El’s current positioning — including statements that volunteers “work side by side with soldiers on IDF bases” and contribute directly to Israel’s security — would make such involvement unacceptable today.

They warned that any Singaporean found engaging in activities linked to foreign military organisations in a way that prejudices national security “would be dealt with in accordance with our laws”.

The case comes amid wider concerns about Singaporeans’ potential involvement in overseas conflicts. Earlier reports had suggested that individuals with links to Singapore may have joined the Israeli military, though authorities said there was “no substantial information to confirm” those claims.

Coordinating Minister for National Security K. Shanmugam reiterated the government’s longstanding position in Parliament: “Singaporeans should not participate in any foreign armed conflict not involving Singapore. Our loyalties as Singaporeans should only be to Singapore.”

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Was that you, TS? Wakakaka😂😂😂