AJC's president claims the popular women's magazine is 'disgusting and despicable'
BBSNews 2008-01-14 -- The American Jewish Congress (AJC) is calling a popular American women's magazine "hostile to Israel" following a decision by Ms. Magazine to forgo publishing an ad that they say is based on a questionable premise.
At issue is the ad's banner that read "This is Israel." The ad apparently was not turned down because of anti-Israeli sentiment on the part of Ms. Magazine or their readers, the ad was turned down because "not only could the ad be seen as favoring certain political parties within Israel over other parties, but also with its slogan 'This is Israel,' the ad implied that women in Israel hold equal positions of power with men."
The ad features photos of three Israeli women in positions of power within Israel, Minister for Foreign Affairs Tzipi Livni, Vice Prime Minister and Knesset Speaker Dalia Itzik and President of the Supreme Court Dorit Beinish.
Curiously the AJC's hyper-critical position on the ad buy seems to gloss over the fact that in the magazine's current issue, Tzipi Livni is highlighted in a "major feature story" covering the life and times of Livni.
In light of these facts, it's hard to see why the AJC would unleash rhetoric such as "...if the publishers are right, a significant number of Ms. Magazine readers − are so hostile to Israel that they do not even want to see an ad that says something positive about Israel." The AJC's president Richard Gordon even termed turning down the ad "disgusting and despicable."
Such over the top hyperbole simply does not comport with the facts. Obviously Ms. Magazine made a decision on an ad that they felt was slightly skewed from the reality in Israel and indeed much of the world saying "women only comprise 14% of the Israeli Knesset, placing Israel 74th in the world for women’s representation in government."
Gordon's shrill claims that Ms. Magazine is somehow anti-Israel falls on it's face in light of how many times Israeli women find themselves the subject of Ms. Magazine articles, the magazine stressed: "Over the past four years (16 issues) Ms. has covered the Israeli feminist movement and women leaders in Israel no fewer than eleven times. "
While the AJC also made a comparison to a cover issue photo last year with US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the words "This is what a Speaker Looks Like" - Ms. mag makes the most telling point: "we did not claim that 'This is what the USA looks like.'"
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