I disagree with Abdul Rahman Abdul Talib's view that state of Israel is illegal in his letter Duty of all to support Palestine.
Here is a brief history of Palestine. At the end of 10th century BC (around the time of King Solomon's death) the historical kingdom of the Jews was divided into two. Israel to the north and Judae to the south. Israel fell into Assyrian rule while Judae fell to Nebuchadnesar, King of Babylon in 586 BCE who destroyed the Jewish temple and exiled the Jews to Babylon.
A few decades later Cyrus the Mede, founder of the Persian Empire, overthrew the Babylonians and allowed the Jews - who were under Babylonian captivity - to return back to Judae. Cyrus the Mede rebuilt the Jewish temple.
In 632 AD, Palestine was overrun by the Arabs (about two years after the death of Prophet Muhammad). They continued to rule for 400 years until 1517 when Palestine was annexed to the Turkish Ottoman empire.
In July 1922, the League of Nations entrusted Great Britain with the Mandate for Palestine. Recognising 'the historical connection of the Jewish people with Palestine', Great Britain was called upon to facilitate the establishment of a Jewish national home at Palestine-Eretz Israel (Land of Israel).
On Nov 29, 1947, the United Nations General Assembly Resolution 181 was approved by the UN to partition the land (Palestine) into a Jewish state and an Arab state with greater Jerusalem, including Bethlehem, coming under international control.
The United Nations Special Committee on Palestine in 1947 recommended separate states for the Jews and Arabs. The UN General Assembly voted 33 to 13, with 10 abstentions, in favour of the Partition Plan.
It is now absurd after all these years to say that the state of Israel is illegal. I am no way supporting Israel or Palestine. But I don't see why my countrymen get 'selectively' agitated with what is happening in Palestine while at the same time close their eyes to other atrocities that are happening around the world.
Either we stand together and oppose all war (including severing diplomatic ties with China until the Tibet issue is resolved) or we stay neutral. We can't be prejudiced.
