THE righteous indignation and confected outrage expressed by the Glasgow University academics sums up the absolutism of the bien pensant liberal left ("Campus visit from Israeli diplomat is 'breach of trust'" and Letters, The Herald, March 3).

I am certainly not a flag bearer for Israel, far from it in fact, but to suggest that the ideals and actions of Hamas-run Palestine, with its stated mission to "wipe the Jews from the earth" are somehow better is absurd, ill-informed and utterly hypocritical.

While risible in its treatment of Gaza, Israel remains a democracy where being blasphemous or gay doesn't result in being thrown from a tall building and stoned to death and where women aren't genitally mutilated, subjugated and treated like second-class citizens. The irony of their letter is that it would most likely be published in Israel. In Palestine they would be hiding from the police.

A university should be a place where young people are exposed to arguments from all cultures and the full spectrum of political views. Only then can they make up their own minds on what they believe to be right and wrong.

Guy Robertson,

Cleveden Drive,

Glasgow.

AT a public meeting on Monday night the Israeli Ambassador encouraged his audience to persuade open-minded critics of Israel to visit the country "to see for themselves, as they invariably return to the UK with an impression substantially different impression to their preconceived view".

I wonder how many of the contributors to the letter from a number of academics from Glasgow University have actually seen for themselves the prosperity and equality enjoyed by Arab citizens of Israel. Does this, together with the fact that Israel is providing free treatment in Israeli hospitals for wounded Syrians, not give some cause for thought?

M Green,

103 Ayr Road, Glasgow.