The Controversy Over “Report from Palestine”

On August 25, 2006 the local English language newspaper Atencion published Mike Rivage-Seul’s “Report from Palestine” under the regular column of the Center for Global Justice.  An expanded version of this had been presented at the Unitarian-Universalist Fellowship of SMA on July 16.  Its publication sparked an immediate controversy from some in the Jewish community (which is sizable) and from a few non-Jews who felt insulted by it.  Letters to the editor [external link: scroll down the page for editorial and letters] flowed into Atencion, for a second week [external link: scroll down the page for editorial and letters] and a third week. Some made accusations of anti-Semitism, attacking Mike, the Center, the newspaper, and the Biblioteca Publica which publishes the paper. Others expressed support either because they agreed with the article or because they defended free speech and the expression of all points of view.  The Board of the Biblioteca issued a statement and held a public meeting on August 31 at which voices pro and con were heard, including a statement from the Center.  The editor of Atencion suspended “for the moment” the CGJ column pending the establishment of “guidelines of publishable content”. On Sunday, September 17, two members of the Center for Global Justice communicated a statement prepared for candle-lighting ceremony at the Unitarian-Universalist Fellowship of SMA.

We are proud to post on the Center website Ben Ptashnik's reply to Mike Rivage-Seul's "Report from Palestine." We believe both of these pieces give us much food for honest reflection, which is just what we want to encourage on this very difficult question. We do not propose to publish further articles or responses on this issue at this time. We are, however, considering opening at a later time a website forum for discussion of such issues by the membership and the public. --
- Steering Committee, Center for Global Justice