Mideast Q & A on Gaza, West Bank

The Times is to be highly commended for its recent comprehensive review of the historical context of the violent unrest in the West Bank and Gaza. Your two full pages of questions and answers have provided much-needed background to a complex situation.

May I suggest, however, that your effort would be strengthened by the inclusion of the following information that was omitted from your analysis. Israeli Arabs are active participants in Israel’s democracy. They vote in Israeli elections, enroll their children in Israeli schools and universities, and are recipients of the entire range of services and benefits provided by Israel’s remarkable health and social welfare system. Currently there are seven Arab members of Israel’s parliament. In none of the Arab countries does any minority group enjoy the level of freedom, equality, and living standards as do Israel’s Arab citizens.

Secondly, in attempting to understand the origins and aspirations of the Palestinian Arabs, it should be remembered that world history has never seen a sovereign Palestinian Arab state. Nor were any steps taken to establish such a state when the West Bank and Gaza were controlled, respectively, by Jordan and Egypt. Moreover, half of Jordan’s nearly 2.5 million citizens are Palestinians. While thousands of Palestinian Arabs did, as you point out, leave Israel during the 1948 War of Independence only to be trapped for decades in squalid refugee camps created by the United Nations and perpetuated by Egypt and Jordan, approximately 800,000 Jews from Arab lands were resettled in Israel during roughly the same period.

Further, in the 20 years that Israel has controlled the West Bank and Gaza, the infant mortality rate in these areas has been cut in half, five universities have been established, numerous health care centers and training facilities for medical professionals have been opened, and virtually full employment has been achieved for the first time. And finally, in your discussion of Israel’s opposition to the PLO you claim the Palestinian National Covenant doesn’t specifically call for the liquidation of Israel. Yet, what could be more specific than Article 9 of the PLO Constitution which you do not cite and which states: “Armed struggle is the only way to liberate Palestine. . . .”? You are right in understanding the dimensions of the “Palestine” which the PLO wishes to “liberate” as including all of Israel, Jordan, the West Bank and Gaza.

RABBI MARVIN M. GROSS

Director

Middle East Commission

Jewish Federation Council of Greater Los Angeles