University of Minnesota pays $250k to historian Raz Segal

• University of Minnesota rescinds Holocaust, Genocide Studies head Raz Segal
• Segal says donors pressured university after his Gaza genocide op-ed
• University admits no wrongdoing but pays $250,000 to settle case

The ‘Israeli’-American historian Raz Segal has reached a settlement with the University of Minnesota after they withdrew a job offer for him to lead the University's Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies.

The withdrawal came after Segal described ‘Israel's’ actions in Gaza as a genocide.

What happened 

In October 2023, Segal received the offer from the University; days later, he published an op-ed stating that ‘Israels’ campaign and actions in Gaza meet the legal definition of genocide.

This prompted two professors from the board to resign in protest, and complaints from university donors and community leaders followed.

The university then withdrew the job offer. 

Segal denies accusations of ignoring October 7 events, stating he previously described Hamas’s actions as war crimes.

Wins settlement 

After a long legal battle with the Center for Constitutional Rights, the university agreed to the settlement of $250k but claimed no wrongdoing. Segal stated the money is not what matters, highlighting that he has obtained dozens of donor emails and public records that prove a coordinated campaign against him, stating, "The point is that people understand the university recognized that our claims are strong and backed by an enormous amount of evidence."

Where Segal is now 

Segal now works as a professor at Stockton University; he continues to face similar pushback, as the university previously named ‘Israel’ alongside genocides such as Sudan, Myanmar and Ukraine but later took it down after legal complaints.

Segal warns that donors dictating what a university can and can't do will be the end of the university.