Israel to establish its 10th university in Safed
In 2005, Israel's government decided to establish a new university in the Galilee but for the next ten years no plans appear to have materialized. In 2015, however, Netanyahu vowed to make good on the previous government's claims during a Galilee Conference.
Safed Mayor Shuki Ohana said the decision to establish the university in the city will revive the entire region. “Together we will make a dream a reality. Safed is prepared for this. We will roll up our sleeves together and go out to plan and execute,” he added.
Safed currently boasts more than 2,000 students enrolled in the Azrieli Faculty of Medicine - an extension of Bar-Ilan University, the Safed Academic College and the School of Nursing. At this time, 66 institutions of higher education operate in Israel, including seven research universities, the Open University of Israel and 37 academic colleges, facilitating the education of over 315,000 Israelis annually.