Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is on an official visit to Singapore, visited the country’s Jewish community at the Maghain Aboth synagogue.

Community children greeted him at the entrance singing and waving Singapore and Israeli flags. The prayer for the State of Israel was read.

Netanyahu said : "I bring to you greetings from our eternal capital Jerusalem and I bring you greetings from a kindred nation. And I feel that Singapore and Israel are kindred nations. I find it a special privilege and an honor to be the first Israeli Prime Minister to make an official visit to Singapore. This follows the visit of Premier Lee to Israel, the first official visit of the Prime Minister of Singapore to Israel and it's an obvious bond, a growing bond.

‘’70 years ago if you looked at Israel and you looked at Singapore, there wasn't much to see. But there's a lot to see and it's not I think accidental that our two nations formed this bond between us because we are both inspired to do things, to punch above our weight. Israel is the innovation nation, we're both entrepreneurial centers. We have innate talent and we have great drive to succeed,’’ he added.

‘’The Jewish people have passed learning from one generation to another, an inquisitive mindset and the ability to produce new things,’’ he stressed.

‘’I don’t have to say that to the Jewish community in Singapore because you've been here for almost two centuries and you have that entrepreneurial quest for many, many decades and I think that you serve as a human bridge between Singapore and Israel. I know that you care for the State of Israel. I know you care for Jewish traditions. This gathering is an indication of that concern and that passion.’’

Netanyahu mentioned that he recently visited two Muslim countries, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan. ‘’Iin Kazakhstan I visited a synagogue. Jewish children in Kazakhstan were singing Hebrew songs, as they sang here, in a Muslim state and that reflects the kind of world we'd like to see: a world of tolerance, a world of diversity, a world that is opposed to the world that is being challenged today by the forces of barbarism and intolerance.‘’

There are about 2,500 Jews living in Singapore. Sir Manasseh Meyer (1843–1930), a British businessman and philanthropist, was the Jewish community's most generous benefactor, being responsible for the setting up of its two synagogues, the Maghain Aboth Synagogue and Chesed-El Synagogue.