I wish to congratulate CAUT for running the article by Elia Zureik on education in Palestine. Zureik has long experience of on-the-ground realities in Palestine and his special concern for education in Palestine makes him admirably suited to write such a review.

No doubt you will get "backlash" from those who are dissatisfied with any bad news coming from Palestine, especially those who think Israel has Palestine's best interests (including education) at heart.

The main thrust of Israel's operations in the West Bank and Gaza is to deny the Palestinians their societal structure, infrastructure, education, business opportunities and anything else that might enhance the possibility of a Palestinian state. It is a sad and heart-wrenching affair.

No doubt it is not the wish of most Israelis that things should be as they are, but almost certainly the plan of power-hungry individuals in the Israeli government and military who appear willing to stop at nothing until Palestine is, quite literally, gone.

A.K. Dewkney
Computer Science, University of Waterloo