Still, some academics at Hebrew University believe qualified students like Salameh pose no security risk, and their acceptance to Israeli universities could even foster better relations in the region.

CNN: Palestinian woman hopes to open Israeli education doors for others

Mr Young's account is partisan, if tempered by a reluctant acceptance that Lebanon's curse, sectarianism, has also proved a shield for individual freedom in a region where this is in short supply.

ECONOMIST: Two writers unpick Lebanon��s complexities