Sir, - Historically, the only successful way hostilities between mixed populations have been resolved is via population exchanges: between Greece and Turkey in the 1920s, between India and Pakistan in 1947 and, closer to home, Cyprus in 1974. A lot of suffering was caused - but far less than the alternatives in Lebanon, Kashmir and Sri Lanka.
With Israel's establishment there was also a population exchange between local Arabs and Jews from Arab lands. This should be the refugee formula.
After 59 years almost all the displaced inhabitants have died. Yet, somehow, their "right of return" has been inherited by succeeding generations. If so, we Jews, whose ancestors are the original refugees, are here exercising our far more ancient and deeper right of return!
Whatever the local Arabs have chosen to call themselves, they are part of the Arab world, as we are continually reminded.
Collectively Arabs have about three times the area of Europe - some of it floating on oil - with only half its population.
Arabs have hardly been wronged as regards land allocation - so what's with their perennial bellyaching?
ALFRED INSELBERG
Ra'anana
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