On Friday, the board of trustees of the City University of New York moved to reverse its earlier decision to not grant an honorary degree to playwright Tony Kushner over his views on Israel, the New York Times reported.

The New York Time report quoted CUNY board chairman Benno C. Schmidt Jr. as saying that he believed that the board had "made a mistake of principle, and not merely of policy" in the decision to withhold the degree.

Open gallery view Tony Kushner Credit: AP

According to the report, a meeting of the board's executive committee, which has the power to change board decisions, has been scheduled for Monday.

Freedom of thought and expression is the bedrock of any university worthy of the name, Schmidt was quoted as saying. But it is not right for the board to consider politics in connection with the award of honorary degrees except in extreme cases not presented by the facts here.

Kushner, a Pulitzer Prize winner, has condemned Israel's policies against Palestinians, accusing Israel of engaging in ethnic cleansing. The playwright was also quoted saying that it would be better if Israel did not exist.

The New York Times report said that the CUNY board had faced a wave of backlash following the decision to withhold the degree from Kushner.

Left-wing Israel advocacy group J Street had condemned the board of trustees' decision in a statement, saying it was an infringement upon Kushner's right to free speech, calling it a "political witch-hunt".