I WAS interested to read David Lyons’ letter (The Press, April 15) on the subject of the Jewish war of independence.

It is a pity, however, that he omits to mention British losses resulting from our holding the ring prior to 1948.

For example, Irgun blew up the King David Hotel in Jerusalem in July 1946, killing 91 British, Arab and Jewish, mainly civilian, staff.

The UN mediator, Count Bernadette, a Swede who had saved more than 15,000 Jews from concentration camps, was murdered by the Stern Gang, an offshoot of Irgun, for proposing that Arabs should have a place in Israel.

All this so disgusted the British people that we gave up the UN mandate in 1948 and left the irreconcilable to get on with it.

A V Martin, Westfield Close, Wigginton, York