Harvard backtracks after allegedly shunning #Israel critic. “A #Harvard University dean says he’s reversing course and offering a fellowship to #KennethRoth, the former longtime #HumanRightsWatch executive director who said he was initially rejected over his criticism of Israel.
Roth, whose Jewish father fled Nazi Germany as a boy…will accept the John F. Kennedy School of Government fellowship… But he’s not done questioning the initial decision.” | Inside Higher Ed https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2023/01/19/harvard-backtracks-after-allegedly-shunning-israel-critic

"Roth said he was “thrilled” at the decision to lift the block, and thanked those at “Harvard and around the world for their overwhelming disapproval of Dean Elmendorf’s original decision”.

"But Roth said that Elmendorf failed to say anything “about the people ‘who matter to him’ whom he said were behind his original veto decision”.

"“Full transparency is key to ensuring that such influence is not exerted in other cases,” Roth said.

"“Secondly, I remain worried about academic freedom. Given my three decades leading Human Rights Watch, I was able to shine an intense spotlight on Dean Elmendorf’s decision, but what about others? The problem of people penalized for criticising Israel is not limited to me.”"

#KennethRoth #Harvard #HRW #Israel

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2023/jan/19/harvard-kenneth-roth-fellowship-israel-criticism

"The #Harvard Kennedy School reversed course on Thursday and said it would offer a fellowship to a leading human rights advocate it had previously rejected, after news of the decision touched off a public outcry over academic freedom, donor influence and the boundaries of criticism of #Israel."

#KennethRoth #HRW #academia #AcademicFreedom

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/19/arts/harvard-israel-antisemitism-roth.html

Criticizing #Israel: Letter to the President of #Harvard University regarding #KennethRoth #HigherEd #HRW https://www.juancole.com/2023/01/criticizing-university-blackballing.html

Hopefully the #KennethRoth story will not just fade away. Douglas Elmendorf must not be allowed to override the wishes of his own people without explanation. This story has Roth's basis for thinking it's about #Israel, but could it be about #Russia or #China?

#HumanRightsWatch
#Harvard
#KennedySchool

https://www.wbur.org/news/2023/01/10/kenneth-roth-israel-criticism-harvard-fellowship-rescinded