ISRAEL

Barak delaying Ariel's transition to university
Three weeks after the Council for Higher Education in Judea and Samaria decided to grant Ariel University Center full university status, Israel’s Defence Minister Ehud Barak is blocking any progress towards making the decision a reality, writes Lahav Harkov for The Jerusalem Post.Since Ariel is in the West Bank, which is under the Israeli Defence Force’s authority, OC Central Command Major-General Nitzan Alon must sign the declaration, and may only do so after receiving instructions from Barak. Barak plans to hold meetings in the coming weeks in order to decide whether he supports Ariel University Center's transition to a full university, but his office would not say when the minister plans to announce his stance on the matter.
“The defence minister has to make a decision as the sovereign over the West Bank, and he will base his decision on meetings in the coming weeks," Barak's spokesperson, Barak Serry, explained. "There are many aspects to this issue, including security and diplomatic repercussions."
Full report on The Jerusalem Post site