In a late night February 13 session, Israel’s Knesset passed the “Ariel Law” that places Ariel University under the supervision of the Council for Higher Education which oversees all of Israel’s universities. As has been noted in the media, this achievement paves the way towards academic recognition for additional university programs, including plans to establish a medical school.
Mayor Shaviro delivered his own personal remarks regarding the milestone:
The Ariel Law which passed last night in a third reading is a correction of a historic injustice.
Ariel University is an academic institution that serves more than 15,000 students and combines high-level teaching alongside groundbreaking and renowned research in various fields.
The transition of the university to the supervision of the Council for Higher Education is an important milestone, albeit late. This is a big step in a significant process that must happen soon – the application of sovereignty over Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria.
The Ariel Medical School will change the face of the region, move Samaria forward in terms of ongoing and emergency medical responses, make it easier for residents to access treatment, and of course serve additional populations – students, lecturers and medical staff.
I thank the Members of Knesset who promoted the law – Minister Naftali Bennett, Shuli Mualem and Yaakov Margi and my friend Gideon Sa’ar, who trail-blazed the path toward this move. And I want to congratulate my colleagues at the University administration on this important day.