Speaking at the ceremony at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem where he receives an honorary doctorate, PM Lee noted that ties between the people of Israel and Singapore began long before both became independent.
The earliest Jews in Singapore arrived in the 19th century, mostly from the Middle East, and their descendants have contributed out of proportion to their numbers in the country. Among them Singapore's first chief minister David Marshall.
Mr Lee noted that renowned physicist Albert Einstein visited Singapore in 1922 , met the local Jewish community and urged them to contribute to the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, which was set up in 1918 and opened its doors in 1925.
The Jewish people in Singapore raised some £750 - worth about S$400,000 today. Israel, he added, reflects a remarkable human talent and "the indomitable spirit to overcome overwhelming odds" - from irrigating the desert to revolutionary advances in technology.
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