Wrong on all counts...
Sir, - James Adler has it all wrong ("Why the 1967 borders work," Letters, February 8). His selective history and facile argumentation echoes those who want to dismantle Israel piece by piece. Adler, like many on the Left, artificially picks 1967as the beginning of Israel's serious problems.
The pre-1967 "borders" were not internationally recognized ones. They were the cease-fire lines at the end of the 1948-49 War of Independence. That there was a previous war disproves your correspondent's main argument.
Other inaccuracies: He implies Israel's borders were more secure pre-1967 than post-1967, citing the contrasting results of the Six Day War and the Yom Kippur War as if added territory was responsible. But the critical difference was preparedness and decisiveness among Israel's leaders and generals in 1967. The "extra" territory, post-1967, saved Israel on the Golan Heights in 1973, when unpreparedness and indecision allowed Syrian forces to advance into Israeli territory.
Contrary to Adler's claim, demographics have always been part of the equation, even pre-1948.
Finally, every major war fought since WWII has proved that wars are ultimately won on the ground by controlling territory, not by lobbing rockets. Wars fought only from the air ended inconclusively. The Second Lebanon War is a blatant example.
NURIT HARPAZ
Jerusalem
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Sir, - I'm sorry to disagree with the argument that if we went back to the 1967 borders there would be "peace on earth," but I'd like to remind your reader that the PLO was founded in 1964, when the Palestinians had the whole of the West Bank and Gaza and, thanks to their ethnic cleansing after the War of Independence, there wasn't one Jew on "their" territory.
The "liberation" in the name Palestine Liberation Organization refers to the bit that was Israel, and they tried their best to achieve that in 1967, and failed. But they have never given up their aspirations; and even though they talk of accepting our existence if we return to the "1948 borders," they haven't given me any reason to believe them.
Every time we've given them something, they've seen it as another step toward their goal, and gone on to their next demand. It seems they will never be satisfied until they've driven the Jews into the sea. Until they realize that won't happen, despite the encouragement they're getting from the West, there will never be peace here.
The only thing we can hope for is a cold peace while they decide they're better off improving their own country than trying to "liberate" ours.
CECILIA HENRY
Kfar Bialik
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...and somewhat naive
Sir, - The suicide borders of pre-June '67 Israel were in no way safe or free from terrorist attacks. And the only reason we were attacked from the post-June '67 borders was that Golda Meir and her advisers foolishly relied on foreign assurances instead of paying attention to the facts at their disposal.
Mr. Adler's naive advice to us would never match his attitude if Brookline was firing missiles at Cambridge.
CHAIM A. ABRAMOWITZ
Jerusalem
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