[net.politics] What Percentage of Present-Day Israel do Arabs want back?

abeles@mhuxm.UUCP (J. Abeles (Bellcore, Murray Hill, NJ)) (01/24/86)

> > A question for Chedly:  What percentage of the land currently in
> > Israel hands comprises the homeland, the giving of which to the
> > palestinians will end terrorism?
> 
>   The percentage assigned by the UN resolution in 1948 partitioning
> Palestine and creating Israel. It includes all territories occupied
> and/or annexed after the 1956, 1967 and 1973 wars.
> Chedly Aouriri.

I assume that Chedly reads and listens to the same news media
as I, and therefore he is probably aware that there are many
in the Arab world who would like to eliminate Israel completely
as judged by their public statements.

However, I am curious as to the method of reasoning which could
be used to arrive at the idea that the May, 1947 (I believe that is
the correct year) UN partition plan should be the correct basis
for assigning limits to the Jewish State.  My guess is that
it is chosen because it is the smallest parcel of land ever
assigned to the Jewish State in modern history, and Chedly at least
has the decency not to demand the total destruction of Israel.

In any case, I would like to point out that Israel is not
hostile towards the Arab States except to defend itself,
while the Arab States (excepting Egypt) have refused to
even conclude the state of war existing continuously since
1947 (that is 39 years, people).  If you dispute this,
you dispute well-documented, well-established, well-accepted
facts.  If you agree that this is true, then is it any wonder
that Jews feel safer within militarily defensible borders?

For those who don't remember the UN Partition plan map,
its borders were drawn in many areas using a ruler on
a map with no concern for military defense.