Full Breakdown
University of Minnesota Withdraws Holocaust Center Directorship Offer to Raz Segal
8/6/2026, 9:01:49 PM
Core Event
In early June 2024 the University of Minnesota (UMN) extended a job offer to historian Raz Segal to lead its Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies. The withdrawal sparked a public dispute that culminated in a $250,000 settlement reached more than two years later. The settlement includes no admission of wrongdoing by UMN.
Background & Context
Segal, a dual Israeli-U.S. citizen and descendant of four Holocaust survivors, published an op-ed in *Jewish Currents* in October 2023 describing Israel’s actions in Gaza as “a textbook case of genocide.” The piece cited Israeli statements and noted that by October 13, 2023 the Israeli air campaign had dropped 6,000 bombs on Gaza. While Segal also condemned Hamas attacks as “mass murder” and “a war crime,” his characterization of the Israeli campaign ignited a backlash among pro-Israel donors, legislators, and community groups.
Data & Statistics
- Settlement amount: $250,000 (as disclosed by Segal).
- Emails obtained through a public-records request show hundreds of nearly identical messages sent to UMN officials.
- 69 Republican legislators signed a letter on June 13, 2024 supporting the university’s pause on the hire.
- 40 leading Holocaust and genocide scholars signed a letter defending academic freedom for Segal.
Official Statements & Responses
- Jeff Ettinger wrote to Segal that “because of the community-facing and leadership role that the Director holds, it is important that these voices are heard,” and withdrew the offer.
- Ethan Roberts, deputy executive director of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas, acknowledged Segal’s academic freedom but questioned whether his views were appropriate for a Holocaust-center director.
Criticism & Opposition
- Donor Lynne Redleaf labeled Segal “far too extreme” and compared his appointment to the controversial selection of Byron Donalds for an African-American Studies chair.
- The hashtag #Mothersagainstcollegeantisemitism was used in a coordinated email campaign organized by the JCRC to oppose the hire.
- State Representative Marion Rarick, leading the higher-education committee, praised the university’s pause and noted that the “outcry from the Jewish community” prompted action.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Dr Segal had the courage to sound the alarm to try to prevent Israel’s genocide of Palestinians,” — Maria LaHood, the center’s deputy legal director
- “I really wish I had been wrong,” — Raz Segal, offer to historian
- “Because of the community-facing and leadership role that the Director holds, it is important that these voices are heard,” — Jeff Ettinger
- “His appointment as director is just as offensive as appointing Byron Donalds, who recently praised Jim Crow laws, to lead the African American Studies Department,” — Redlead
What’s Next
The settlement leaves the Center’s directorship vacant; UMN has not issued a new offer for the role. Segal, now a tenured professor at Stockton University in New Jersey, continues to write on the Gaza conflict, stating that the genocide “is far from over.” No further hiring timeline has been announced.
