Why Didn’t the Palestinians Get Their State Before 1967?

In your November 19 editorial “Whose Jerusalem?” you accurately point out that, from 1948 to 1967, much of East Jerusalem was part of the “West Bank.” However, the editorial draws the wrong conclusion from this important piece of history.

In 1947, U.N. Resolution 181 created not only a Jewish state out of the British Mandate, but also an independent Arab state. And after the 1948 war, East Jerusalem was also under Arab control.

If the creation of an independent Palestinian state with a capital in Jerusalem is so critical today, why wasn’t this accomplished when the West Bank and East Jerusalem were all under Arab control prior to 1967? Why would there need to be another war in 1967?

The future status of Jerusalem is certainly an incredibly complex issue, but the puzzle will never be solved unless we all remember our modern history lessons and learn from them.

David E. Cohen
Wyckoff, N.J.

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