Police Probing Unauthorised Posters About Israel–Hamas Conflict in NTU

Prospective university students who were using the restrooms while touring their dream campus were greeted with the following poster:

It reads, “Applying to NTU? Your school fees is funding the genocide in Palestine.”

The poster outlines several methods through which Nanyang Technological University (NTU) purportedly supports Israel, including its partnership with Thales, a French multinational company collaborating with the university and the French National Centre for Scientific Research.

Thales specializes in designing and manufacturing electrical systems and equipment for aerospace, defense, transportation, and security sectors.

According to the poster, Thales maintains connections with Israeli Aerospace Industries and Elbit, an Israeli military technology company. The poster asserts that weaponry from these firms was utilized during the Israel-Hamas conflict.

The poster was also accompanied by a sticker of a watermelon, an image used to communicate solidarity with the Palestinians as the colours of the fruit matches the Palestinian flag.

Posters Allegedly Put Up During NTU Open House

Photos of the poster began circulating online on 2 March 2024, primarily on social media platforms like Instagram and reddit, and have garnered more than 9,000 likes and 750 comments.

Netizens speculate that the posters were first put up in the toilets during the NTU Open House that happened on the same day, seemingly in an effort to deter incoming freshmen from applying into NTU by suggesting that if they pay university fees, they are actively supporting Israel in the ongoing conflict in Gaza. 

In response to inquiries, a spokesperson from NTU stated on 5 March that the university did not authorize the posters, and they have all been taken down by campus security. 

The spokesperson also mentioned that a police report has been filed, with netizens on reddit witnessing seeing police vans during the NTU Open House.

The police have also confirmed on the same day that a report was lodged. As of the morning of 7 March 2024, investigations are still ongoing.

Netizens’ Comments on the Poster

The poster has sparked numerous discussions and comments on the social media platform reddit, with many netizens voicing their incredulity at the situation in the now-locked thread.

Multiple users point out the irony that while paying university fees to NTU would “contribute to the conflict”, Thales is also apparently the main producer of items and systems people use on the daily, making a complete boycott almost impossible.

A tongue-in-cheek comment from an alumni jokingly stated that they will seek a refund of their school fees so that their money “will not go towards Israel”.

The Singapore police have encouraged residents to engage in responsible and respectful discussions on the Israel-Hamas conflict, both online and offline. Personal social media platforms are not exempt from this responsibility.

They have also cautioned against making insensitive or offensive remarks about race or religion, doubling down on its commitment to preserving harmony in our nation.

According to Second Minister for Home Affairs Josephine Teo, the police’s advisory “is not intended to hinder anyone from expressing their concerns or strong opinions on this matter.”

She stressed the importance of respectful expression and contributing to humanitarian relief efforts to uphold unity, stating, “It’s important to remember that we cannot hope to resolve conflicts by initiating more conflicts ourselves.”