Israel and the PLO
Sir: Elisabeth Luard's knowledge of Israel's scientific and technological achievements ('Hybrid vigour', 22 May) obviously does not extend to the current situation in the oc- cupied territories. She states: 'In the homeland the Israelis outnumber the Arabs three to one. In the occupied lands the pro- portion approaches equality ... ' As any Israeli statistical source will confirm, there are over one million indigenous Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip (excluding East Jerusalem), compared to about 30,000 Jewish settlers who, incidentally have seized more than one third of the land area of the West Bank and assumed control of all water resources.
Her claim that 'until Israel is recognised by the PLO she cannot afford to lose con- trol of the West Bank' is a more serious misrepresentation, as it implies that only Arab stubbornness is preventing Israel from complying with UN Resolution 242 (and many others) calling for withdrawal from the lands occupied in 1967. Mr Begin said in the Knesset on 20 March, 1979: 'Israel will never return to its pre-June 1967 frontiers. Israel will never allow and will act to pre- vent the creation of a Palestinian state on the West Bank. Jerusalem one and reunified will remain for eternity the capital of Israel.' As a prominent Israeli journalist explained to me recently, 'Begin knows that to talk to the PLO means saying goodbye to the West Bank — which is why he'll never do it.'
Paul Harper
7A Albert Mansion, Luxborough Street, London W 1
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