Ms Magazine Misses the Mark

You'd think a women's mag like Ms. would be happy to run an ad showcasing three powerful and high-profile Israeli women: Supreme Court president Dorit Beinisch, Foreign Minister Tzipi LivniDalia Itzik. and Speaker of the Knesset

Think again. Here's the ad Ms. doesn't want you to see (via Hashmonean)

Phyllis Chesler fills in the background:

When Director of AJCongress’ Commission for Women’s Empowerment Harriet Kurlander tried to place the ad, she was told that publishing the ad “will set off a firestorm” and that “there are very strong opinions” on the subject − the subject presumably being whether or not one can say anything positive about Israel. Ms. Magazine publisher Eleanor Smeal failed to respond to a signed-for certified letter with a copy of the ad as well as numerous calls by Mr. Gordon over a period of weeks.

We'll have to ask about something in the Ms. 2007 fall issue titled "Faceless in Gaza." Whatever that's about, not putting it online only minimizes so much the "firestorm" Ms. prefers to avoid.

UPDATE: According to Ms. magazine's executive editor, Kathy Spillar, the ad was rejected for being too partisan. She told the JTA:

"Because two of the women in this ad were from the same political party," that showed favoritism, and the magazine's policy is not to get involved in the domestic politics of another country. . . .

Spillar responded that "ironically" this month's issue, just coming to newsstands now, has a two-page spread profiling Livni.

ed: I suppose we don't need Ms. Magazine at this point, because this ad is alive and well on the blogosphere. I actually never purchased the magazine, and now I know it was a sound decision. Kathy Spillar needs to take a hike, soon.