Israeli bill extends sovereignty over West Bank universities
Knesset approves law that places institutions under the auspices of Israel instead of Judea and Samaria council
The Knesset approved legislation that would extend Israeli sovereignty over universities and colleges in the West Bank.
Under a bill approved Monday, the institutions will be placed under the auspices of Israel’s Council for Higher Education rather than be overseen by the parallel Judea and Samaria Council for Higher Education.
The legislation is known as the “Ariel bill” because it was aimed at supporting Ariel University in the northern West Bank.
Academics are concerned that the passage of the law will anger the European Union and endanger academic funding to Israeli institutions of higher learning.
The approval came a day after Israeli lawmakers agreed to put on hold a proposed bill to apply sovereignty to Israeli settlements in the West Bank.
Ariel University plans to double in size in the next five years. In June, the university announced a £14 million $20 million donation from the American casino magnate Sheldon Adelson. Part of the project, which includes an additional 10 to 12 facilities, is to build a four-year medical school to be named after Adelson, who owns the Israel Hayom newspaper, and his physician wife, Miriam. It would be the sixth medical school in Israel.
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
