The Israeli government voted overwhelmingly in favor of recognizing the Ariel University Center of Samaria as an accredited university on Sunday.

The cabinet resolution is symbolic, since the controversial change to the status of the institution, which is located in the West Bank city of Ariel, must first be approved by the High Court of Justice and then by the attorney general. Although the college bears the name ‘university center’, it has never actually been accredited as such.

Speaking at the start of a cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed his support on the matter, saying that “Ariel is an inseparable part of Israel and it will remain that way under any future agreement.”

Every minister voted in favor of accrediting the university center, except Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Agriculture Minister Orit Noked.

For more, go to Haaretz.com

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