Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited Ariel University on Tuesday, January 8 – the first visit by a prime minister since the institution received university status last month.
“I would like to make it clear to the world: The danger to the world is not a university in Ariel. The danger to the world is not that Israel is building neighborhoods in Jerusalem.
“The danger is Iran, which is building nuclear weapons. The danger is Syria’s arsenals of chemical weapons. I call on the world to take notice. History will judge harshly those who equate democratic Israel, which is establishing a university, and dictatorial regimes that slaughter their people and which hold atomic weapons of mass destruction.
“We remain faithful to our homeland. We will continue to defend our citizens, develop our country and build in our land. With G-d’s help, we will build and we will succeed.”
At the start of his visit, Prime Minister Netanyahu was shown the electro-static accelerator / free electron laser (EA-FEL), the only one of its kind in the country, and one of only six in the world.
Afterwards, the Prime Minister met with senior academic staff, including Rector Professor Michael Zinigrad as well as faculty deans, department heads, professors, lecturers and senior scientists.