Ministers and MKs praised the government for approving university status for Ariel's institution of higher education. Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said that the authorization of the school as a university had been a demand of his Yisrael Beiteinu's party, and he was glad to see the government fulfill its obligation to the party. Lieberman added that “all attempts to halt this process, ideological or otherwise, will not succeed. Israel needs another university, and it needs it in Ariel.”

MK Ofer Akunis (Likud) said that the approval was a New Year present for residents of Judea and Samaria. “Ariel can be proud that it is home to the eighth university in Israel, and that it has tens of thousands of students,” Akunis said. “They come from all political backgrounds to learn and get a university degree,” he added.

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