Raz Segal, an Israeli professor, has reached a $250,000 settlement with the University of Minnesota (UMN) after the university withdrew its offer for him to lead its Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies. The withdrawal followed an organized campaign against his hiring over his criticism of Israel's actions in Gaza.
Offer withdrawn after backlash
In June 2024, UMN offered Segal the position based on the near-unanimous recommendation of a committee of academics, who praised him after a rigorous search. However, five days later, the university abruptly rescinded the offer, citing "perspective" from community members. The reversal came after Segal's October 2023 op-ed in Jewish Currents, where he called Israel's actions in Gaza "a textbook case of genocide." Critics accused him of justifying Hamas crimes, which Segal rejected.
Last week, Segal and the university reached a settlement. The terms state the payout is not an admission of wrongdoing by UMN. The university did not respond to a request for comment.
Pressure campaign revealed
Segal obtained emails through a public records request, revealing pressure from donors, legislators, and pro-Israel activists. One donor warned that allowing Segal to head the department would lead to pulled pledges. Hundreds of emails followed a similar template, indicating a coordinated campaign.
The Center for Constitutional Rights, which represented Segal, argued the university's actions were unconstitutional, retaliating against protected speech. "Dr Segal had the courage to sound the alarm to try to prevent Israel’s genocide of Palestinians," said Maria LaHood, the center's deputy legal director. "And for this, the University of Minnesota administration overruled the will of its faculty and revoked his job offer in violation of the first amendment and fundamental principles of academic freedom."
Segal's response
Segal, who is Jewish and a dual Israeli-US citizen, said UMN leadership "determined that I’m the wrong kind of Israeli and the wrong kind of Jew." He is now a tenured professor at Stockton University in New Jersey. "I really wish I had been wrong," he said. "But unfortunately I wasn’t."
Two days after the offer, UMN professors Karen Painter and Bruno Chaouat resigned from the center's advisory board in protest, accusing Segal of "justifying Hamas atrocities." Segal's article had called Hamas's attacks "mass murder" and "a war crime under international law." He said, "I would never justify Hamas."
As pressure mounted, the university initially stood by Segal but then retreated. On 8 June 2024, a communications team member warned that "defending the candidate too much at the moment can be risky." The university asked Segal to confirm if he was "an Israeli native" to address allegations he was "anti-Israeli."
University's reversal
On 10 June 2024, then-interim president Jeff Ettinger informed Segal in a two-sentence email that the offer was withdrawn after "additional members of the University community have come forward to express their interest in providing perspective." The letter came after complaints from donors, including Lynne Redleaf, who called Segal "far too extreme" and "an anti-Zionist." Ettinger responded to Redleaf, "Thank you for your heads up on this. Timely and helpful."
University leaders also received hundreds of identical emails expressing concern, many with the hashtag #Mothersagainstcollegeantisemitism. Local legislators, including Republican state representative Marion Rarick, wrote a letter signed by 69 colleagues, saying they were "elated" the university paused the hiring.
Segal noted many Jewish people supported him. Beth Gendler, director of Jewish Community Action, implored Ettinger not to accept "the false assertion of one consensus voice for Minnesota Jews." Ethan Roberts, deputy executive director of the JCRC, confirmed the group organized opposition, saying the issue was whether Segal was appropriate for the community-facing role.
Fallout and settlement
UMN faculty passed a no-confidence vote against Ettinger, and the American Association of University Professors called for reinstating the offer. The position remains unfilled. Segal said he feared the "stigma" from the withdrawn offer damaged his chances for similar roles. He had hoped the university would restore the offer but was told that was "off the table."
