Livnat slams decision on Ariel Center

Culture and Sports Minister Limor Livnat slammed the recommendation of the Higher Education Council's planning and budget committee to defer the decision on the status of the Ariel University Center of Samaria to next year on Wednesday.

Livnat, who in 2005 brought forward a proposal to grant the college university status, questioned the committee's motives. "In light of the fact that the center has effectively been serving as a university with leading lecturers and scientists and 12,000 students, it's hard to avoid the impression that the recommendation is somehow politically motivated," she said.

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Livnat described the decision as "contradicting the government's decision from 2005" adding that it is beyond the scope of the Higher Education Council. "The government decided at the time to turn the college into a university," she said. The minister expressed hope that the Judea and Samaria Higher Education Council will "make the right decision."

The Judea and Samaria Higher Education Council is the body in charge of all Israeli academic institutions in the West Bank and is the one that will have the final word on the issue. The Higher Education Council's recommendation will be submitted to the Judea and Samaria Higher Education Council.

Limor Livnat. Presented original proposal in 2005 (Photo: Yoed Cohen)

Ariel University Center President Prof. Dan Meyerstein said that "as far as we're concerned this isn’t the end of the story but the beginning of the struggle." He said that the recommendation goes against the government's outline and is based on dishonest motives.

A source familiar with the details of the affair noted that Education Minister and chairman of the Jerusalem Higher Education Council Gideon Sa'ar, who supports granting the center university status, has great influence over the matter.

Sa'ar, the source said, has two conditions: one, that the center meets the academic criteria, and the other, that other universities won't suffer budget cuts as a result. The source estimated that based on these terms it is possible that the center will become a university very soon.

Prof. Dan Meyerstein. 'This is just the beginning of the struggle' (Photo: AP)

The University Presidents' Association said in response that "we welcome the Higher education Council planning committee's decision to carry out an in-depth examination of the format of Israel's higher education system. The examination is set to give the proper response to the current reality, including the need to promote one academic institution or another."

The right wing of the political system seems convinced that eventually the campus which sees thousands of students pass through its halls annually, will become a full-fledged university in the near future.

Yesha Council Chairman Danny Dayan said that "it was clear that this decision is a cocktail that combines political inclination of this organization, which is clearly biased, and preserving the interests of existing universities. Every time they wanted to establish a new university, existing institutions objected."

Dayan added that the final call belonged to the Judea and Samaria Higher Education Council and that the government needed to decide.

'Left imposes beliefs on entire nation'

Shomron Regional Council Chairman Gershon Mesika called on Education Minster Sa'ar to dismiss Higher education Council planning committee Chairman Manuel Trajtenberg. "Extremist political considerations defeated professional considerations," he said. "If this was an Arab university, it would have been approved a long time ago."

"It is inconceivable that the extreme Left impose their beliefs on the entire nation, against the opinion of the professional echelons."

The Chairman of the State Control Committee, Knesset Member Uri Ariel (National Union) said: "This decision is miserable, motivated by narrow interests of university chiefs who are willing to harm the academic and research world so long as the budgetary pie remains their own."

He added: "The Ariel University Center has fulfilled all the criteria along the years and is more than worthy of the title of university."

Attila Somfalvi contributed to this report

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