A Beersheba Labor Court has ordered Kaye Academic College of Education to pay 200,000 shekels in compensation to Dr. Warda Sada, an Arab Israeli lecturer who was dismissed over social media posts published shortly after the October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas. The court ruled that she was wrongfully terminated and cited her rights to academic freedom and freedom of expression.

Sada, who had worked at the college for 28 years, was suspended and later fired after posts in which she criticized Israel’s policies and described the attack as an uprising against ongoing oppression. The college argued that her remarks were supportive of Hamas and said it acted swiftly due to the national emergency and the absence of clear protocols for handling such cases.

In its decision, the court said the college failed to consider less severe disciplinary measures and did not adequately weigh Sada’s explanation that she was unaware of the full scale of the attack at the time of her posts. However, the judges also criticized Sada for not showing sufficient responsibility for her statements, awarding her eight months of lost salary and additional damages rather than the larger sum she had sought.

The college has announced it will appeal the ruling. The case is part of a broader wave of disciplinary actions against educators over statements related to the war in Gaza, amid ongoing legal debates about new legislation permitting the dismissal of teachers accused of identifying with acts of terrorism.