UK condemns move to upgrade Ariel University

British Foreign Secretary William Hague issued a strong condemnation last Monday of the Israeli government’s decision to grant the Ariel University Center the status of a full university, writes Herb Keinon for The Jerusalem Post.

Hague said he was “very disappointed” by the decision to establish the first university “beyond the Green Line in a settlement that is illegal according to international law. This decision will deepen the presence of the settlements in the Palestinian territories and will create another obstacle to peace with the Palestinians.”

The government last Sunday approved the upgrading of the status of the Ariel University Center to that of a fully fledged university even though a petition to block the matter is pending before the High Court of Justice. Hague said the move was “particularly unfortunate” because it came at a time of widening cooperation between Israeli and British universities.
Full report on The Jerusalem Post site