Two Singaporeans who volunteered with Israeli military-linked group in 2016 face no legal action

Singapore's Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) have confirmed that a father and son who volunteered with the Sar-El Volunteer Corps in December 2016 will not face legal action, after an assessment by the Internal Security Department (ISD) concluded they were not involved in military activity with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).

In a joint statement released on 24 March 2026, the two ministries said the pair participated in the Sar-El programme for approximately two weeks in non-combat roles, undertaking work such as packing, sorting, painting, cleaning, washing and cooking. Both individuals are no longer involved with Sar-El.

The statement comes nineteen days after a parliamentary sitting in which three Members of Parliament questioned the government about a Declassified UK report identifying two Singapore passport holders in IDF data, and amid renewed public attention following the resurfacing of a blog post promoting Sar-El on social media in early March 2026.

Background to the Declassified UK report

The matter first entered public attention on 11 February 2026, when British investigative outlet Declassified UK published a report drawing on data obtained from the IDF through a freedom of information request submitted under Israel's Freedom of Information Law by Elad Man, a lawyer associated with Israeli non-governmental organisation Hatzlacha.

The IDF data indicated that more than 50,000 soldiers holding Israeli nationality alongside at least one other citizenship had participated in the conflict in Gaza. Within that dataset, Declassified UK identified two Singapore passport holders.

One was recorded as an Israeli citizen with Singapore nationality. The other was recorded as holding multiple nationalities, including Singaporean and Israeli citizenship. The report did not identify either individual, specify their roles, or state the period of their service.

MHA and MINDEF said on 24 March that there is no information to suggest that the father and son's 2016 Sar-El volunteering is related to the Declassified UK report.

Parliamentary sitting of 5 March 2026

On 5 March 2026, Coordinating Minister for National Security and Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam addressed Parliament on the matter, responding to questions filed by three Members of Parliament: Dennis Tan Lip Fong (Hougang), Fadli Fawzi (Aljunied), and Hazlina Abdul Halim (East Coast GRC).

Dennis Tan asked whether MHA had substantiated information confirming Singaporean involvement in the IDF, whether such service would constitute a breach of Singapore law, and how the government monitors and advises citizens against foreign military involvement.

Fadli asked whether the two individuals identified in the Declassified UK report would be investigated and potentially prosecuted under Section 125 of the Penal Code 1871, and whether dual citizens found to have served would face deprivation of Singapore citizenship.

Hazlina asked how the ministry was verifying whether any Singaporeans had served in a foreign military without authorisation, what action would be taken if verified, and how policies would be reviewed to mitigate the risk of unauthorised foreign military involvement.

Shanmugam told Parliament that MHA was aware of the Declassified UK report but had no substantiated information confirming that any Singaporean had served or was serving in the IDF.

He confirmed that a formal request for information had already been submitted to the Israeli government, but that no response had been received as of 5 March.

Shanmugam acknowledged the practical difficulties foreign governments may face in complying with such requests. He noted that dual citizenship need not be declared under Israeli law, meaning soldiers may face no legal obligation to disclose additional nationalities to military authorities.

"Other governments may not even know that these people hold dual citizenship," he said, adding that such requests were unlikely to be enforceable. He noted that Singapore had made similar requests to various governments over the years, with mixed results.

Section 125 of the Penal Code and the legal framework

On the question of whether Section 125 of the Penal Code 1871 applies to Singapore citizens serving in foreign militaries, Shanmugam said applicability would depend on the specific facts of each case and would require investigation.

Section 125 criminalises waging war, attempting to wage war, or abetting the waging of war against any foreign power in alliance or at peace with Singapore. Shanmugam did not confirm or rule out its application.

He indicated that in past cases, the government had more frequently relied on the Internal Security Act (ISA) as the primary enforcement instrument. He said the existing legal framework was sufficient. "In our view, given the positions we have stated, the current legal framework, including the Internal Security Act, is adequate," he said.

Shanmugam also noted that those holding multiple citizenships who are found to have served in a foreign armed conflict may be deprived of their Singapore citizenship.

Zero tolerance position

Shanmugam reiterated that Singapore's position on the matter has been long established. "Singaporeans should not participate in any foreign armed conflict not involving Singapore. Our loyalties, as Singaporeans, should only be to Singapore, and we should only ever engage in military action in defence of Singapore," he said.

He made clear that enforcement would apply regardless of which foreign force an individual was found to be serving. "It does not matter to us whether you are fighting for Israel or Ukraine or Russia or some other Middle Eastern country or a terrorist organisation. It is not acceptable and we will take action if we find you," he told Parliament.

On whether clearer guidelines were needed, his response was direct: "The simple answer is, 'Don't do it', and there is zero tolerance for it."

Background to the 2016 Sar-El volunteering

In December 2016, the father wrote to Singapore authorities mid-way through the programme to ask whether his son could continue participating as part of the son's school volunteer programme. The son was at the time enrolled at Holderness School in New Hampshire, in the United States.

In his communication, the father stated that participants in Sar-El do not pledge allegiance to the IDF or Israel, are not assigned to combat roles, and are not issued weapons. He noted that volunteer activities were organised by Israeli volunteers and the IDF Logistics Corps.

The Sar-El website at the time stated that volunteers would work in IDF warehouses and receive guided tours of locations in Israel, alongside lectures on Jewish and Israeli topics.

Based on the information provided by the father and the content available on the Sar-El website at the time, authorities told the father that participation in the programme did not appear to constitute service in a foreign military. Authorities also clarified that the son's participation was not endorsed or authorised, and was undertaken at his own volition.

By the time the authorities replied to the father's correspondence, both the son and the father had already completed their two-week stint.

Blog post and ISD engagement

Sometime around 2018 or 2019, the son published a blog post featuring a photograph of himself in a National Cadet Corps (NCC) ceremonial uniform. The post included a hyperlink to a website containing a redirect to the Sar-El Volunteer Corps (Singapore) site.

ISD engaged the father and son in 2025 after becoming aware of the blog post. Following that engagement, the son took down the post. However, the post was subsequently reposted by others on social media, drawing renewed public attention in early March 2026.

No action was taken against the pair for their 2016 activities, based on the facts known at the time.

Before details were removed from the Sar-El website between 10 and 17 March 2026, the site had listed the father and son as Singapore liaisons, along with a contact email address that is no longer active. The Singapore liaison information had been added to the website in January 2021.

The Straits Times, through independent checks of the Sar-El website and school yearbooks, identified the son as Shaun Kwan and the father as Edmund Kwan. Neither has made a public statement. The MHA-MINDEF joint statement refers to the two individuals only as A and B.

Current position on Sar-El

MHA and MINDEF noted that the Sar-El website currently states the organisation is "deeply committed to supporting the IDF" and that volunteers "work side-by-side with soldiers on IDF bases", with their service contributing directly to Israel's security. This represents a significant shift from the language used on the site in 2016.

The ministries stated that involvement in organisations such as Sar-El on those terms today would not be acceptable, and that action would be taken under Singapore law against anyone whose involvement in such activities is found to prejudice Singapore's national security and interests.

MINDEF noted that since 2016, it has not evaluated any similar requests with respect to Sar-El.

Sar-El Volunteer Corps describes itself as a non-political volunteer organisation dedicated to supporting Israel, and operates across 33 countries and territories. Singapore was among those listed until details were quietly removed in mid-March 2026.

Dual citizenship context

Singapore generally does not permit dual citizenship. Under the Constitution, individuals below 21 years of age may hold more than one citizenship but are required to renounce all but one upon reaching that age.

The presence of Singapore passport holders in the IDF data raises questions about whether those individuals had properly renounced prior citizenships, or whether their circumstances fall within the constitutional provision for those under 21.

Shanmugam said Singapore would act upon receiving credible information, regardless of the conflict involved.

Public response: common themes in comments

The reports on the joint MHA-MINDEF statement drew substantial public comment on social media, with several recurring themes emerging across responses.

The most prominent was the perception of double standards in enforcement. A significant portion of commenters, many appearing to be from the Malay or Muslim community, expressed the view that Singaporeans with Muslim names or affiliations would face far harsher consequences for equivalent conduct involving the opposing side of the Israel-Gaza conflict. Several commenters referenced a separate case involving three women questioned or detained in connection with activities in support of Palestine, drawing a direct contrast with the outcome for the father and son.

A second common theme was scepticism about the non-combat framing. Multiple commenters questioned what practical distinction exists between logistical support and direct military participation, asking whether activities such as packing supplies or working alongside soldiers on military bases constitutes a meaningful separation from combat operations.

Questions about transparency and identity also featured prominently. Several commenters noted that the authorities had not officially disclosed the names of the two individuals, drawing comparisons to past cases in Singapore where individuals facing security-related scrutiny were publicly identified.

A smaller thread questioned whether volunteer work that supports a military operation, even in a non-combat capacity, can be considered ideologically neutral, particularly given Sar-El's stated mission of supporting the IDF.

Others took a more measured position, acknowledging the legal framework cited by the ministries while asking how it would be applied in analogous situations involving other conflicts or non-state actors.

Shanmugam's parliamentary statement that enforcement applies equally to those serving Israel, Ukraine, Russia or any other foreign force was not widely cited in the public commentary observed.