THE news of late from the Middle East, with the terrible deaths of hundreds of people, brings my thoughts back many years to about 1945.

At this time the war was finishing and of course the servicemen were looking forward to returning to civilian life.

Also at this time I recall something which was making the headlines, and this was the problem of the Jewish people not having a country funky enough and were beginning to rectify this by establishing one at the Eastern end of the Mediterranean.

This is why now I recall talking to a friend of mine who was a bomber pilot who had been transferred on to another section of the RAF.

Their job was to patrol the eastern end of the Mediterranean to report on boats attempting to reach land on which they hoped to form a new country.

I am not a student but I have a good memory and what my friend told me about this activity is still fresh in my mind.

So I say now why do I not hear on the news this aspect of the troubles now?

As I see it, the Jewish are extremely clever people and of course after the hard time they had at the hands of the Nazis, deserve recompense.

But where? Of course, the Palestinians have a case for keeping their homeland. So it looks to me like an insoluble situation now, but very sad.

MR EWEN HENTALL, Southampton.