Madam, - Once again we have been treated to the fulminations of Raymond Deane (June 20th), who persists in making a particular point on the subject of occupation as it relates to the conflict in the Middle East. No matter how many times the position is explained, the same charge is repeated ad nauseam.
In 1947 the UN passed a resolution dividing what was left of the British Mandated Territory of Palestine into two states. The British had already given the Eastern Territory to a Saudi Arabian and changed its name to Jordan. Six hours after the UN resolution all the surrounding Arab states, including Egypt and Jordan, attacked the newly established state of Israel.
In 1948 a truce was arranged after which the Jordanians annexed the area which became known as the West Bank, and the Egyptians did the same with Gaza. From then until 1967 the term occupied was never used in relation to those territories. At the commencement of hostilities in 1967, the Israelis begged the Jordanians to stay out of the conflict, to no avail. Even after the cessation of the war in 1967 Israel offered to return the West Bank to Jordan and it refused the offer. Jordan's own experience with Arafat and the PLO had caused it a great deal of grief and it was glad to get rid of it. Israel had the same experience with the Egyptians and Gaza.
Occupation was therefore thrust upon the Israelis by her enemies who, during the entire period of their occupation, had made no attempt to create a Palestinian state. The Israelis have, however, made more than one attempt to create such a state, to no avail. - Yours, etc.,
MONIQUE WALSH, Irish Friends of Israel, Charlotte Quay Dock, Dublin 4.