Thank you for printing the article on the Jewish National Fund in the March Bulletin in which the authors criticized university presidents who agree to be honoured by this organization. The values of the JNF are inconsistent with the values that universities should promote, particularly justice and social equity. The JNF project in Israel, as documented in the article, is based on unjust and illegal discrimination against Arab Israelis.

The uncritical support for Israel in the mainstream media in North America leaves little space for reports of the opposition within Israel to acts of the Israeli state that violate international and domestic law. Supporters of Israel’s aggression against the Palestinians respond with venom and vigour to any attempt to provide a nuanced account of the politics of land, water and oil in the Middle East, and academics who have the courage to speak the truth deserve our praise and gratitude.

Margaret E. McCallum
Law
University of New Brunswick

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I am writing to commend the Bulletin for publishing the commentary by Michael Lynk, Rebecca Coulter, David Heap and Randa Farah in the March issue on the acceptance by the president of the University of Western Ontario of an award from the Jewish National Fund. Its analysis of JNF practices and policies draws our attention to oppressive realities that deserve to be much better known. In publishing it, the Bulletin has done a service to its readers.

David Camfield
Labour Studies
University of Manitoba

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