In the message from the president in the February edition of the Bulletin "CAUT Issues Statement on Closure of Palestinian Universities," Victor Catano speaks of the "punitive closures of schools ... as reprisal for terrorist incidents elsewhere."

This is far from the truth. I assume you do not expect suicide bombings to actually occur at the Hebron universities, but that is the only possible inference one can draw. But first you should know something about the history. I quote from www.mfa.gov.il/mfa/go.asp?MFAH0bzo0:

"There are presently six universities in Judea/Samaria and Gaza, and over 20 community colleges. All of them were established during the period of Israeli administration (after 1967) and with Israel's permission. Until 1967 the Jordanian authorities restricted higher education and, in fact, the establishment of universities was forbidden."

Israel claims the suicide bombers are recruited at these campuses, i.e., they have been in the forefront of the Intifada, serving as centres of incitement and violence. The closure is upheld by the courts, i.e., by law. Israel, as the only democracy in the area, is run by the rule of law rather than terrorists and their violence.

What would you have the Canadian government do in a similar situation?

Henry Wolkowicz
Mathematics, University of Waterloo