The Israeli embassy in Singapore has been instructed to remove a contentious Facebook post concerning Palestine following criticism from the local authorities.

K. Shanmugam, Singapore’s minister for law and home affairs, condemned the now-deleted post, labeling it an “astonishing attempt to rewrite history” and deeming it “completely unacceptable.”

Expressing his dismay, Shanmugam stated on Monday, “I was very upset when I was told about it,” adding that the Ministry of Home Affairs intervened, urging the embassy to take down the post immediately, which they did.

The contentious Facebook post made by the embassy claimed that “Israel is mentioned 43 times in the Quran. On the other hand, Palestine is not mentioned even once” and asserted that archaeological evidence supports the claim of Jews being the indigenous population of Israel.

This incident comes amid ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, resulting in significant casualties in the Gaza Strip. Israel launched military operations in response to a terror attack by Hamas, prompting concerns about escalating tensions.

Regarding the embassy’s post, Shanmugam emphasized the potential consequences for Singapore’s diverse communities, stating, “It is wrong to selectively point to religious texts to make a political point. Even worse, in this current situation, for the Israeli embassy to make use of the Quran for this purpose.”

He further cautioned against escalating tensions, highlighting the risk of real-world threats arising from online anger.

The Facebook post, uploaded on March 24, was removed later the same day. The Israeli embassy confirmed that disciplinary action had been taken against the individual responsible for the post.

In response to the incident, Singapore’s foreign minister, Vivian Balakrishnan, emphasized the inappropriateness of using sacred texts for political purposes.

Masagos Zulkifli, Singapore’s minister-in-charge of Muslim affairs, also denounced the post, stressing the importance of maintaining social harmony and avoiding messages that could cause offense or distrust among communities.