Some 200 schools in the west bank area, maintained by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, functioned normally yesterday, the first day of the school term, but Government-operated schools in most of the West Bank Arab centers were closed as a result of a boycott by teachers and pupils.
A noisy demonstration by youngsters at the UNRWA school in Tulkarem failed to compel the UNRWA authorities to close the school. Extremist nationalist Arabs have been waging a campaign of intimidation and threats to force closure of the UNRWA schools in Nablus, Jenin and Tulkarem, the larger Arab towns.
The Israel Army authorities have decided not to force the Government schools to open and not to penalize the striking teachers. Only those guilty of using threats will be subject to prosecution. Arab parents, in the view of the authorities, will, sooner or later, press the teachers to return to the classrooms.
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