Hello.
All eyes are riveted on the shocking violence in the Middle East this past week. The death toll, including civilians and children, is mounting after Palestinian militant group Hamas’ deadly incursion and Israel’s retaliatory strikes in the Gaza Strip.
The world has to grapple with yet another crisis with no end in sight. A US-brokered deal to normalise Israel-Saudi relations – that would have forged a historic peace – seems likely to collapse. Any disruption in military equipment or commitment to support Ukraine against Russia’s invasion will play into Vladimir Putin’s hands.
The ongoing conflict holds clear lessons for Singapore. That Hamas could launch such a massive surprise attack suggests critical failures of Israel’s intelligence and early warning systems. It shatters the perennial illusion that military-technological superiority creates effective deterrence, says military expert and RSIS assistant professor Michael Raska.
Divisive Israeli politics have also cleaved society. Even a powerful military will have trouble when the country it is defending is fractured, says Carl Skadian from the Middle East Institute, NUS. There are seismic shifts in the Middle East, he says, and all well-governed countries will doggedly pursue what is in their interest, even if the price sometimes appears too high to pay.
Meanwhile in Asia, Thailand was also reminded the hard way of its failure to reform gun control when a 14-year-old opened fire in a popular Bangkok shopping mall, killing two and injuring several others. But the spotlight on its gun problem should not leave Thailand’s mental health crisis in the shadows, says Thailand Development Research Institute’s Boonwara Sumano.
Here are our selection of commentaries this week. Stay connected for timely updates and comprehensive analysis.
Charlene Tan
Senior Editor, Commentary
