UC Berkeley to honor settlement with Israeli scholar after discrimination claim

UC Berkeley has committed to honoring a legal settlement with Yael Nativ, an Israeli dance scholar who was previously denied a teaching position due to her nationality. The university attributed a nine-month delay in fulfilling the settlement to “internal miscommunication.”

Nativ, a sociologist specializing in Israeli dance, had been teaching at the university as a visiting professor. Following the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks, the chair of the dance department informed her she would not be rehired, citing concerns regarding student anger and the political climate.

A university investigation concluded that Nativ had been discriminated against based on her Israeli identity. Following a lawsuit supported by the Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law, the university spokesperson stated that Nativ will receive her guaranteed job offer no later than the week of September 28.