Editor's Letter

U-M Press' Folly

M

I second the letter's assertion that "the University of Michigan
ore and more of the Jewish community is mobilizing
legitimizes these books and, by extension, classical and current
against the University of Michigan Press' troubling
anti-Semitic propaganda both on campus and nationally"
relationship as U.S. distributor for a London-based
UMP presents a specious argument that its Pluto deal, which
publisher of a highly controversial book that essentially advo-
prevents any editorial review, is strictly a business decision
cates doing away with the State of Israel in favor of a single
worth $1 million in annual sales to UMP, according to the
secular democratic state with no ties to the Jewish people.
Michigan Daily. UMP doesn't publish original works on Israel,
The mobilization is against Pluto
the Middle East, Zionism and Judaism. So, as the letter asserts,
Press, the independent publisher of Joel
Pluto Press has become "the public face of UMP on these issues,
Overcoming
Zionism:
Creating
Kovel's
providing a one-sided and wildly skewed version of reality:'
A Single Democratic State in Israeli
That backdrop dims UMP's disclaimer that its Pluto agree-
and
other
politically
and
ideo-
Palestine
ment does not "bear the imprimatur" of 'UMP or U-M.
logically charged books on the Middle
East that are anti-Jewish when viewed
A Book Of Hate
through a lens of reason.
In Overcoming Zionism, Kovel, a social studies professor at
"In any case, what is wrong with the
Jewish state is the fact of being a Jewish Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, N.Y., writes, "Zionism
state,' summarizes Kovel in Overcoming cannot be reasoned away; it has to be confronted, and its lived
world has to change." He propounds overcoming Zionism's
Zionism. He equates Zionism with
Jewish power and dominance — shades shield of legitimacy and undoing the "racist core of the
Zionist state."
of past anti-Semitic canards that led to pogroms, ghettos and
We can't ignore this harangue. Kovel eyes dramatic change
the Holocaust.
—
"which is to say to dissolve the Jewishness of the state. For
A Nov. 27 letter to the U-M Board of Regents, signed by lead-
this,
one does not smash or trample Zionism; one overcomes it
ers of six pro-Israel organizations, characterizes the books as
and
frees
people from its chains',' he writes.
"uniformly anti-Israel, proudly radical and often anti-Semitic
Further,
he brands the notion of a "Jewish restora-
in nature:" At a time when Jews again have
JOEL KOVEL
tion"
as
atrocious.
"Restored to what?" he asks. "To rape
become scapegoats for the world's ills and when
OVERCOM ING Palestine, to pervert the Holocaust, to become courtiers
anti-Semitism is rampant in Europe and Arab
ZIONISM
of an empire [America] that is destroying the planet
lands, Jews can't ignore Pluto Press' seeming
itself? As they have built their world, the power-Jews have
hammerlock via a curiously unique distribu-
restored nothing so much as Moloch, the child-devouring
tion agreement on a campus with a large Jewish
shadow-form of Yahweh — a verdict all too literal."
enrollment and heavy Jewish investment.
The core message of Overcoming Zionism should jolt
Signatories to the letter include the direc-
you:
one state, a secular "universal democracy" called
tors of the Anti-Defamation League/Michigan
Palesrael,
for Jews and Arabs with a complete right of
Region, StandWithUs-Michigan, B'nai B'rith
return
for
displaced Palestinian refugees.
International/Great Lakes Region, Jewish
That
scenario,
of course, would end the Jewish state.
Community Relations Council of Metropolitan
U-M
has
spent
years
revamping its reputation to assure a
Detroit, American Jewish Committee/Detroit Chapter and the
diversity
of
students
and
ideas in the classroom. Its not an
National Christian Leadership Council for Israel.
inherently
bigoted
campus.
It has been at the forefront of impor-
The Zionist Organization of America also has protested.
tant
social
justice
issues.
U-M
divested from apartheid South
Student groups like the American Movement for Israel and
Africa.
It
chose
not
to
divest
from
Israel when pro-Palestinians
the Israel IDEA also have chimed in to counter the falsehood
seeking
to
curb
Israel's
defensive
occupation
in the Gaza Strip
that the dispute is over free speech or academic freedom as
and
West
Bank
pitched
that
baseless
ploy.
opposed to real hate and prejudice wrapped in a commercial
Further, UMP's own mission promotes varied perspectives;
money-making agreement. Student involvement is especially
yet
Pluto Press' library is unabashedly anti-Zionist. A return to
heartening; for too long, Jewish students have been too intimi-
Zion,
of course, is biblically intertwined with Judaism. That's
dated or too unprepared to defend Israel in debates or discus-
what
makes
UMP's embrace of Pluto Press so disconcerting.
sions with pro-Palestinian apologists.
U-M regents Andrea Fischer Newman, Laurence Daitch and
Andrew Richner oppose the UMP-Pluto Press partnership.
Letter Perfect
What's necessary is a unanimous vote of the regents to pressure
The November letter plainly states the case against University
the UMP board to disband this transaction. The demeaning deal
of Michigan Press (UMP) and the publicly funded university,
will quickly erode any benefit derived from the earnings. I I
which has received millions of dollars in support from Jewish
benefactors.
To contact the U-M Board of Regents, see the Web site
UMP has no business distributing Pluto Press books or
www.regents.umich.edu/about/regents.html.
promoting the enterprise on its UMP Web site. Pluto Press
should not be mistaken for a publisher of high scholarship or
important research. It has a right to publish whatever it wants;
O : Should U-M Press strike publishing deals
but U-M, because it is not a private institution, must be held
1— •
that block editorial oversight?
to a more rigorous, higher standard. Still not convinced? The
F—
work of now-deceased Israel Shahak, who authored another
Z Z When does unfettered political debate
Pluto published book, Jewish History, Jewish Religion: The
O 0 cross over into promoting hate?
a. a-
Weight of 3000 Years, is popular on neo-Nazi Web sites.

Hp w

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