Right now, a lot of eyebrows are probably being raised as high as the champagne glasses, after Defense Minister Ehud Barak granted Ariel College his stamp of approval. This was the last step needed for Ariel College to receive official recognition and accreditation as a university.
Barak instructed Major General Nitzan Alon to recognize the school, located in the city of Ariel in the Shomron, as a university, after refusing to do so since the paper crossed his desk in September.
Barak will be ending this phase of his political career following his decision to not run in the upcoming elections.
Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein also recommended that the approval be granted.
Last month MK Tzipi Hotoveli told JewishPress.com that PM Netanyahu would ensure that the university was approved before the upcoming elections. Turns out she was right.
But there are still roadblocks ahead as the Council of Presidents of Israeli Universities, who oppose the accreditation on political grounds, plan to take the decision to the High Court of Justice, where they believe the decision will be overturned.