In Trudy Rubin’s view, Palestinians will demographically overwhelm the Jewish state they could not militarily defeat (“The looming threat to Israel lies within,” May 7). Academic research suggests that claims of the growth of the Palestinian population, like claims of military success in earlier shooting conflicts, are wildly exaggerated.
Israelis would welcome a Palestinian state living in genuine peace alongside them, as they have lived in peace with Jordan. Unfortunately, as the rockets fired from Palestinian-controlled Gaza into Israel explosively demonstrate, there are worse options than the current stalemate. Placing Tel Aviv and Jerusalem in rocket range of a terrorist-ruled Palestine on the West Bank, controlled by people pledged to never accept Israel’s permanent existence, is one of them.
John R. Cohn MD
Thomas Jefferson University
Member SPME Board of Directors
Philadelphia