Van Heurck’s opinion full of misleading innuendos

It’s going to be difficult to respond to Yann van Heurck’s Feb. 5 article, “Time to stand up for equality,” because how does one respond in 300 words to this op-ed, which is so full of misleading innuendos and outright falsities?

Let’s start with the claim that Israel seized nearly 80 percent of Palestine in 1948-1949. We should really start at the beginning, 1922, not 1948, when Britain, then in charge, lopped off 78 percent of the land to form the kingdom of Transjordan, strictly intended for Arab use. In 1948, when the United Nations voted to partition the remaining 22 percent into Arab and Jewish lands, it was vehemently rejected by all the Arab countries and six Arab armies then invaded Israel. They were ultimately defeated, but they tried once more in 1967, again to suffer a humiliating defeat. It was only through these wars of Arab aggression that Israel reached its present boundaries.

There have been many offers by Israel to the Palestinians to settle the dispute, including giving them their fervent wish, a capital in East Jerusalem. All have been rejected. Today, the claim that Israel is an occupier is ridiculous. Ninety eight percent of all Palestinians live under strict Palestinian Arab rule, either in Gaza or the West Bank.

Its also pertinent to point out that the land given the name “Palestine” by the Romans has never in its history been a separate Arab kingdom. Its history is strictly Jewish, as we know from the Bible. Jerusalem is mentioned about 700 times in the Bible and not once in the Koran. False claims of Israeli occupation of Palestinian land are only a pretext for terrorism and ethnic cleansing of Jews.

Marvin Peyser, Johns Creek, Ga., formerly of Torrington