Harvard University has made a U-turn on the rejection of former executive director of Human Rights Watch, Kenneth Roth, for an academic fellowship with the Harvard Kennedy school over his criticism of Israel.

The institution’s dean, Douglas Elmendorf, earlier vetoed a proposal by the school’s Carr Centre for Human Rights Policy to offer a one-year fellowship to Mr Roth, citing his perceptions that Mr Roth’s former publication, Human Rights Watch, had a bias against Israel.

In a piece earlier this month, The Nation revealed that Mr Elmendorf had confided in his colleagues that he had personal reservations about Mr Roth’s portrayal of Israel. Following that admission, he received harsh condemnation from well-known freedom of expression organisations who branded his choice “shameful” and an attempt to curtail the fiercely contentious human rights discourse in Israel in the university community.

In official capacity, Mr Elmendorf, without offering any more details, said that he rejected the proposal because of his evaluation of Mr Roth’s “potential contributions to the school.”

In reversing his decision, Mr Elmendorf said the university would offer Mr Roth an invitation hoping that the university would be able to benefit from “his deep experience in a wide range of human rights issues.”