The clandestine role Israel played in establishing Singapore’s army
The clandestine role Israel played in establishing Singapore’s army In '65, group of Israeli soldiers arrived in Singapore under veil of secrecy… HAARETZ.COM Former Singapore Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, who died Monday at age 91, revealed in his autobiography that Israel had helped set up his country’s army. In his 2000 book “From Third World to First: The Singapore Story,” Lee recalled that he had approached several nations asking for military advice, including India, Egypt and Britain, but it was Israel who responded. Lee wrote that in November 1965, a group of Israeli soldiers arrived in Singapore under a veil of secrecy. “To disguise their presence, we called them ‘Mexicans.’ They looked swarthy enough,” wrote Lee. The job of building Singapore’s army was given to Maj. Gen. Rehavam Ze’evi, and the military delegation was headed by then-Col. Yaakov Elazari. Several Israel Defense Forces officers labor