MS MAGAZINE CONDEMNED FOR NOT RUNNING PRO-ISRAEL AD
January 17th 2008 09:16
The New York Sun reports that Jewish feminists are criticising Ms magazine for refusing to run a full-page advertisement submitted by the American Jewish Congress that features three prominent Israeli women.
Calling the decision "contemptible" and "hostile" toward Israel, the women – some of whom helped to found the feminist magazine – said that the decision seemed to be motivated by anti-Israel sentiment among the publication's staff and its readers.
The advertisement, which includes the words ‘This is Israel,’ features photographs of the president of Israel's Supreme Court, Dorit Beinisch; Israel's foreign minister, Tzipi Livni, and the speaker of the Knesset, Dalia Itzik.
"It breaks my heart to have to recognize that the magazine that taught the world about the power and possibilities of women has banned an ad featuring women at the height of political power because they are Israeli," Francine Klagsbrun, the editor of "Free to Be … You and Me," and "The First Ms Reader," a compilation of articles published in Ms, said.
According to officials at the American Jewish Congress, Ms magazine declined the advertisement due to a feeling it would incite a "firestorm."
Ms magazine refuted the charges. "It simply isn't true and it's not fair," the magazine's executive editor, Katehrine Spillar, said.
She said the magazine turned down the advertisement because it was outside the publication's mission. "Our role at Ms. magazine is not to promote countries, it is to report on what's happening to women in different countries."
Earlier this week, the magazine posted a profile of Ms. Livni on its site. "We wanted people to see it, so that we couldn't be accused of not covering Israel or Israeli women leaders," Ms Spillar said.
The author Blu Greenberg described a culture of anti-Israel sentiment within parts of the feminist movement, "The forces at Ms. that decide matters have aligned themselves with those on the political far left whose agenda is to totally delegitimise Israel on the state of world opinion."
Calling the decision "contemptible" and "hostile" toward Israel, the women – some of whom helped to found the feminist magazine – said that the decision seemed to be motivated by anti-Israel sentiment among the publication's staff and its readers.
The advertisement, which includes the words ‘This is Israel,’ features photographs of the president of Israel's Supreme Court, Dorit Beinisch; Israel's foreign minister, Tzipi Livni, and the speaker of the Knesset, Dalia Itzik.
According to officials at the American Jewish Congress, Ms magazine declined the advertisement due to a feeling it would incite a "firestorm."
Ms magazine refuted the charges. "It simply isn't true and it's not fair," the magazine's executive editor, Katehrine Spillar, said.
She said the magazine turned down the advertisement because it was outside the publication's mission. "Our role at Ms. magazine is not to promote countries, it is to report on what's happening to women in different countries."
Earlier this week, the magazine posted a profile of Ms. Livni on its site. "We wanted people to see it, so that we couldn't be accused of not covering Israel or Israeli women leaders," Ms Spillar said.
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