BEYOND SG

A proud day for Americans and the World

I am watching the Inauguration of President Barack Obama live on TV in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. CNN reported that it might be the largest TV event in history.

Like many who followed the US election last year, I am inspired by the very idea that a Black man with such humble origin could become the President of United States. This historic event has profound symbolism to many of us. It means that a troubled nation can heal. It means poverty can be overcome through hard work. It means racial discrimination can be beaten. It means convention can be challenged. It means we and our children can dream big and bold dreams. It means we should never mock a child, no matter how improbable, when he shares his" impossible" ambition with us. It means so many things to so many people.

As a Singaporean, I wish the new President well. As a Fulbright fellow, I am always grateful to this nation for giving me a chance to study and learn from the best. As a blogger, I am convinced that the power of words, the example of basic decency and a graceful ego still have important places in this cynical world. As a human being, I take comfort that the human race has the ability to mean-revert and move away from brutal extremism and illogical aggression, and ultimately, is able to make intelligent decisions and respect our fellow man.

Good Luck and All The Best, President Obama.

Harold Fock

Picasso and the Masters

I was brought to see this remarkable Picasso exhibition at the Grand Palais in Paris. t shows the influence which other masters had on him such as older ones like Velasquez, Rembrandt, Titian, El Greco and Goya and more recent ones like Van Gogh, Manet, Cezanne and Gauguin. The curators have brought together masterpieces from different museums including the Prado and the Hermitage.

I never thought I understood Picasso but the lady guide who explained the evolution of his works was a great help. The museum was packed with visitors. In fact, there were too many in some of the galleries. But that only attests to the success of the exhibition and the cultural awareness of the French people. Paris is truly a city of culture. On any one evening, there would be scores of cultural events competing for your attention.

On Monday, I and the French Culture Minister will witness the signing of an agreement between NHB and its counterpart organisation. On Tuesday, I will sign with Bernard Kouchner, the French Foreign Minister, a cultural agreement between France and Singapore. These agreements will facilitate the exchange of exhibitions between the two sides. The greater flow will naturally be from France to Singapore and it will be wonderful if Singapore can become a shining reflection of France in Asia.

George Yeo

 

Gaza

I had lunch with a couple from Saudi Arabia this afternoon. The wife was livid with the killing of innocent lives in Gaza. The husband felt however that Hamas should share some of the responsibility too.

Once a cycle of hate is entrenched, it becomes extremely difficult to break out of it. Without a measure of trust and respect, it is impossible to negotiate a compromise. No realistic observer can be optimistic about the prospect of peace in the Middle East. In the meantime, a younger generation is learning to hate as well.

Yet it was not very long ago when one could hope. I can never forget a meeting I had up in the moutain ski resort of Davos in January 2000. I was then Minister for Trade and Industry. The Israeli Trade Minister asked to meet. He asked if he and his Palestinian counterpart could visit me in Singapore and together with me visit my Indonesian counterpart in Batam, to see how neighbours could cooperate for mutual benefit and together create jobs and opportunities. At that time, Gus Dur as Indonesian President was friendly to Israel. Shimon Peres was his personal friend. I agreed immediately to Minister Cohen's request and started making preparations. Unfortunately, within a few months, Israeli-Palestinian relations plummeted precipitating the Intifada in September.

Having learnt from their inability to defeat Hizbullah, I expect the Israelis to win the battles in Gaza. But the war can only be won if the objective is peace, a peace which can endure, which means a separate Palestinian state with its own autonomy.

When I visited Ramallah from Israel in 2007, transferring from one bullet-proof car to another, I was informed that Arafat once told his people that Palestine could either be a Somalia or a Singapore. The Palestinians are a talented people who deserve better. The children of Abraham deserve better.

George Yeo