Sir, - Raymond Deane (August 8th) forgets that the "West Bank" was gained by Israel in her defensive 1967 war against Jordan, which had illegally annexed it in 1950 and changed its name from Biblical Judea-Samaria in an effort to reduce Jewish claims to it. Israel's subsequent efforts to negotiate the territory for peace with its Arab neighbours was rejected by "The Arab League" in Khartoum. Construction of Jewish settlements there under the "Allon Plan" was essential for Israel's security.
Arafat has not changed his plan to take all Israel and Jerusalem, expressed to Palestinians over Jordanian TV on the same day as the famous handshake on the White House Lawn in 1993: "We are returning to Palestine. Our flags will fly over Jerusalem. As we can't defeat Israel in war we can do it in stages. We take any and every territory we can of Palestine and establish sovereignty there and use it as a springboard to take more with Arab nations' help." - Yours, etc.,
Dr Steve Harris, Broadford Crescent, Ballinteer, Dublin 16.