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I refer to Professor Tommy Koh’s op-ed “ ” (Nov 17). I have the greatest of affection and respect for my friend Tommy. The differences between us are between the idealist and the realist. On this issue, they boil down to two key points. First, I do not regard international law as an autonomous reality that exists independent of decision-makers’ understanding and use of it. International law is only a tool of diplomacy and is not the only tool or one that is fit for every purpose. Most international lawyers – although not all – naturally may think otherwise, and on this Tommy and I must agree to disagree. Neither of us has any responsibility for conducting the war and our opinions are costless.  Second, the fact that there are corrupt and ill-governed First World states has nothing to do with the probability of a Palestinian state being corrupt and ill-governed. To conflate these situations as Tommy has done is a logical non sequitur; my conclusion on the probability of a Palestinian state being corrupt and ill-governed rests squarely on the dismal record of the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank since 1994 and Hamas in Gaza since 2007. There is room for both idealists and realists in the conduct of international relations. I leave it to your readers to decide for themselves which or what combination is most appropriate to Singapore’s interests.