Education Minister and chairman of the Council for Higher Education Naftali Bennett addressed Prof. Yossi Klafter, President of Tel Aviv University and Chairman of the Committee of University Heads, on Monday evening, demanding the immediate admission of Ariel University as a full member of the committee.
In his letter, the minister explained that according to a legal opinion presented to him, the acceptance of Ariel University does not affect the ability of Israeli universities to receive research budgets from international and European foundations, such as Horizon 2020, for research activity within the Green Line.
Bennett wrote that "there is concern that your refusal to add Ariel University to [the committee] constitutes prohibited discrimination and seriously violates the rules of proper administration."
"I do not intend to accept a reality in which a body, financed mainly by public funds, will enjoy full government cooperation while discriminating against [another university] for irrelevant reasons," the minister added.
He also noted that if Ariel University was not allowed to join the committee, he would have to appeal to the attorney general to order the cessation of cooperation between the state's institutions and the organization.
Bennett ends his letter by saying: "I am convinced that as you have just said, that [the committee] is not a closed club and does not act as a cartel, you will work to bring Ariel University into your organization."