Court backs West Bank university

Israel’s top court upheld the conferring of university status upon a settlement college. The High Court of Justice this week rejected a petition by a group of left-wing Israeli academics against plans to upgrade the College of Judea and Samaria, in the West Bank settlement of Ariel, to a university. The new status would give the college, which has nearly 10,000 students, boosted accreditation standards and access to funding.