Sir, - Mr Declan Jones's genuine concern for the "Palestinians" (May 27th) is not echoed by Mr Arafat nor any other Arab leaders past or present. Mr Arafat has spent funds meant for them on his "elite" while promoting the myth of the "Palestinian" state being theirs from time immemorial and inciting hatred of Jews among their children. Neighbouring Arab nations have preferred to spend massive funds on arms to fight Israel rather than improve the lot of the "Palestinians". Treatment of these unfortunate people as a political weapon contrasts with Israel's assimilation of 1 million Jews forced to flee Arab countries, leaving behind over 39,000 square miles of land.
The terrorist arm of the PLO has not been dismantled. The "hand vote" on the clause for Israel's destruction was not carried out following their Constitution, whose emblem shows all Israel as a "Palestinian" state. The PLO's deceitful "phased plan" aims ultimately to trigger an all-out Arab war from her newly-won state and conquer tiny Israel.
Joan Peter's book From Time Immemorial proves conclusively that the majority of Arabs ("Palestinians") in western Palestine arrived to work there following Jewish restoration of the long-neglected land. The same book documents that under British rule severely restricted and tightly controlled Jewish immigration, combined with massive illegal and unchecked Arab immigration into Israel, led to Jewish-settled areas of Palestine cleared for other Jews being taken by newly-arrived Arabs. The reliance of Arabs ("Palestinians") on Israel for work, related by Mr Jones, continues to this day, another factor against the establishment of an independent "Palestinian" state. - Yours, etc. Dr Steve Harris,
Broadford Crescent, Ballinteer, Dublin 16.