First Medical School in Yehudah and Shomron Opens

The first medical school in Yehudah and Shomron, Israel’s sixth, was opened on Sunday after overcoming years of legal and political obstacles.

Speaking at the opening ceremony at Ariel University, U.S. Ambassador David Friedman said:

“A new medical school has opened in Samaria. It’s worth saying that again: A new medical school has opened in Samaria! How many people ever thought those words would be spoken?

“The lives of people everywhere, in this region, whether you are Jewish, Muslim, Christian — they have now been improved and will continue to be improved in so many profound ways,” Friedman told the inaugural class of 70 students and a gathering of dignitaries.

“The United States Embassy enjoys warm relations with Ariel University, and we are inspired by its contributions to Israeli society and to the scientific world,” he added.

American philanthropist Sheldon Adelson, who donated $20 million to the university in 2017 for expansion purposes, including the medical school, was on hand, along with his wife, Miriam, an Israel-born physician.

New Right MK Naftali Bennett, who, as education minister, championed the extension of higher education in Yehudah and Shomron, was also there.

The university and its proposed medical school faced vehement opposition from the Israeli left and the Palestinians, who warned that it would further normalize Israel’s presence in the region and undermine hopes for peace.