A regional labor court in Be’er Sheva has ordered Kaye Academic College of Education to pay 210,000 NIS (70,000 USD) in compensation to Dr. Warda Saada, a former lecturer fired shortly after the October 7 massacre for inflammatory social media posts. While the court acknowledged the severity of her statements, the ruling centered on procedural failures by the college during the termination process.
Praising the "Resistance"
Dr. Saada, 60, a long-time lecturer at the college, was suspended and eventually terminated following a series of posts that sparked outrage during the height of the war. According to court documents, Saada wrote that "Gaza will not be flattened," and claimed that "Hamas and Jihad will not stop resisting by every means the mind can bring, like any other nation."
In a move that drew particular condemnation, she compared the Palestinian "resistance" to the struggle of the Ukrainian people, stating they "had no alternative to the hard lives they have, just like the Ukrainian people everyone identifies with." Furthermore, she reportedly referred to IDF soldiers as "murderers" and labeled the Israeli military a "terrorist army."
A "Last Resort" Applied Too Soon
The college’s president, Professor Aryeh Ratner, initially notified Saada of her suspension by describing her posts as "words of evil in favor of terrorists and human beasts." He argued that the college had a duty to ensure that individuals who encourage murderous terror do not remain within its walls while fellow staff and students are out on the front lines.
Saada subsequently sued the college for 674,000 NIS, claiming wrongful termination. In its final ruling, the Be’er Sheva Regional Labor Court accepted her claim in part. The judges pointed to several "significant flaws" in how the college handled the case:
- Procedural Errors: The college utilized a general firing committee instead of the mandated ethics committee.
- Lack of Transparency: The specific complaints and evidence were not fully disclosed to Saada prior to her hearing.
- Dismissal of Support: The court found that the college failed to give proper weight to letters of support from colleagues who testified to her character and public service.
- Severity of Punishment: The ruling stated that firing should be a "last resort," and the college moved to terminate her employment too hastily without exploring lesser disciplinary actions.
While the court did not vindicate Saada’s rhetoric, it penalized the institution for failing to follow its own internal protocols and due process.
The 210,000 NIS award serves as a stark reminder to Israeli institutions that even in cases of clear-cut verbal incitement or support for enemy entities, the "how" of the termination is often as legally significant as the "why."
