Israeli Historian Receives $250,000 Compensation After US University Cancels Appointment Over Genocide Comments

Israeli historian Professor Raz Segal will receive $250,000 in compensation from the University of Minnesota after the institution rescinded his appointment as head of its Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies. Segal was initially selected for the role in June 2024 following a nearly unanimous recommendation by the search committee. However, less than a week after accepting the position, the university reversed its decision, citing new perspectives from community members.

The cancellation followed revelations that Segal had described Israeli actions in Gaza as "genocide" in an article published on October 13, 2023, shortly after the October 7 Hamas attack. Critics accused him of justifying Hamas’s crimes, a claim Segal denied, clarifying that he characterized the attack as a "massacre" and a war crime. Over two years after the appointment was withdrawn, the parties reached a settlement, with the university not admitting any wrongdoing.

According to reports in The Guardian, internal documents obtained by Segal revealed a coordinated campaign by pro-Israel activists, lawmakers, and donors who pressured the university to cancel his appointment. One donor warned that many would withdraw financial support if Segal, described as "a clear anti-Zionist," was allowed to lead the department. Segal stated that hundreds of nearly identical protest messages were sent to the university, indicating an orchestrated effort.

Initially, the university considered defending Segal’s appointment but ultimately yielded to the pressure. Communications staff warned it was "too risky" to support him, and references to the university not using "political litmus tests" in hiring were removed from draft statements. Segal, a Jewish scholar and grandson of four Holocaust survivors, said the university deemed him "the wrong kind of Israeli and the wrong kind of Jew." He expressed a preference to regain the position over financial compensation but was told that was not possible.

Currently, Segal is a full professor at Stockton University in New Jersey, where he leads a master’s program in Holocaust and Genocide Studies. He hopes the settlement will encourage academics penalized for criticizing Israel to "fight back."