D. HOLDEN (Your Letters, Nov 6) seems to have fallen for the Arab lies and propaganda. I would suggest that he reads up on the region's history from unbiased sources before he passes judgement.

A great deal of the land, now being claimed by the Arabs as stolen from them, was legitimately and legally purchased from its owners by the Jewish people, buying back their land after 1,875 years of enforced absence.

The Arab landlords were only too pleased to sell stoney scrub-land and swamps to the foolish Jews! These Jews, by dint of hard labour, went on to drain the swamps and clear the stoney land to produce excellent arable land, much to the amazement of the former Arab owners. These Arab landlords had been indifferent to the poverty of their tenant populations, preferring to let them live in the same miserable subjugation as had their ancestors since biblical days. Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East, a country built by hard work, and the greedy rulers of the surrounding, non-democratic Arab states were frightened that their populations would demand the same type of democracy and standard of living that Israel enjoys. This would mean that the billions from the oil revenues owned by a few decadent families would have had to be used to establish a decent standard of living for their people instead of for their own pleasures and to keep their people in penury so as to control them.

These families, through lies and propaganda, have instilled in their subjects a hatred of Israel, hoping that the unrest and ensuing wars would protect their positions.

When Israel declared the re-establishment of the state in 1948, they had only a few primitive weapons against well-armed Arab states. They went on to defeat them and, eventually, with the help of the Americans and French, they obtained arms with which to defend themselves.

Mr Holden conveniently forgets that Egypt, Syria, Iraq, Iran and Saudi Arabia had billions from oil revenues to buy all the weapons they needed with which to attack Israel. After trying five times without success to help the people that suddenly became the Palestinian entity, they left them to their own devices. These Palestinians then resorted to bombing, sniping and murder.

What would Mr Holden do under those circumstances? I am sure that he would use whatever weapons were his to command, to protect his people. Israel has a defence force that is second-to-none and under the present onslaught of suicide bombings and shootings, any reasonable person would claim that their actions and reprisals have been very mild indeed.

When peace eventually arrives, the area will benefit tremendously, with both Jews and Arabs benefiting from mutual co-operation. Check the true, unbiased history of the region Mr Holden. I am sure you will change your present opinion.

A. P. TOBIAS