A local writer in his 4/27/24 letter falsely claimed that the United Nations created Israel. Not true. The U.N. voted for a Partition of British Mandatory Palestine into a Jewish state and an Arab state. The Jews accepted and the Arabs did not. Several hours after Israel declared independence she was attacked by seven Arab armies. This new nation of less than 700,000 people was created by repelling her enemies, not by any resolution in New York. That Arab state in Palestine never happened because Egypt and Jordan captured that land for themselves.
The idea that Great Britain aided the Jews is fantasy. Britain at the request of Arab leaders refused to allow Jews fleeing the Nazis to enter Palestine and continued that policy until they left in 1948; and played no role in Israel’s defense. Moreover, Britain and America had an arms embargo so the new nation couldn’t buy weapons on the open market. Those Arabs who stayed and became Israeli citizens have been able to enjoy the benefits of living there. Had the Arab leaders been willing to accept a Jewish state in the Holy Land there would have been a Palestinian state as well and many lives on both sides could have been saved.
— Gil Stein, Aptos
The Sentinel welcomes your letters to the editor. Letters should be short, no more than 175 words. We do not accept anonymous letters. Letter-writers should include their full name as well as a street address and telephone number. We don’t publish those details in the newspaper, but need the information for verification purposes. Occasionally, we reject letters simply because we’ve had so many on the same subject. Submit your letters online at www.santacruzsentinel.com/submit-letters.