Sir, - Dr Yousef Allan (Opinion, November 30th), claims that improving the social and economic welfare of "Palestinians" would help isolate extremists such as Hamas and help promote peace. However, the PLO's ultimate aim is no different from that of Hamas - the conquest of all Israel. Arafat's call for jihad, holy war against Israel, in his native language and allusions to the "phased plan" contrast with his talk of turning his back on violence and confrontation. The Hamas Covenant states "the PLO is the closest to the heart of the Islamic Resistance Movement [Hamas] . . . our homeland is one . . . our enemy is a joint enemy to us all".
The irony is that the PLO and UN did their collective best to thwart attempts by successive Israeli governments to improve the "Palestinian" refugees' lot. Although 77 per cent of the land allotted as a Jewish homeland, under the British Mandate, had been given to the Arab people (Jordan), 1948 saw 1.2 million Arabs inhabiting Israel, drawn there during the previous 50 years by attractive living and working conditions, following Jewish restoration of the long-neglected land. Eight million suffering Palestinians forced to live in exile? In fact, most "Palestinian" refugees were those Arabs urged to leave Israel by Arab leaders prior to an all-out attack by Arab nations to destroy the newly-formed Jewish state, confirmed by an Arab spokesman, Mr Emile Ghoury, Secretary of the Palestine Higher Committee, in the Beirut Telegraph of September 6th, 1948.
Mr Netanyahu's slowness at releasing Palestinian prisoners is understandable as the PA have not adhered to even one of the Oslo Accords. Building at Har Homa for both Jews and Arabs was within Jerusalem's boundary and is permissible under the Oslo Accords. Difficulty of access to holy sites, cited by Allan, is just not true. From 1948-1967, under Jordanian rule, all Jews were evicted from East Jerusalem and their holy places destroyed or closed. From 1967, under Jewish rule, freedom of access to all holy places of all religions is guaranteed, including access for Muslims to the Temple Mount. - Yours, etc., Dr Stephen Harris,
Ballinteer, Dublin 16.