http://insidehighered.com/news/2007/09/12/mich
Michigan Resumes Distribution of Anti-Israel Book
The book is back, but the publisher may not be.
The University of Michigan announced late Tuesday that the University of
Michigan Press would resume distribution of Overcoming Zionism, a book
that calls the creation of Israel a mistake and that prompted several
pro-Israel groups to complain to the university about its role in making
the available a book they characterized as “hate speech.” The University
of Michigan Press stopped distribution last month, following those
complaints, and setting off complaints of censorship by others. Michigan
was not the publisher, but distributed the book for Pluto Press, a
British publisher specializing in leftist social science for an academic
audience. The author of the book is Joel Kovel, distinguished professor
of social studies at Bard College.
In a statement released by the university, the press Executive Board (a
faculty body) said that while it “has deep reservations about Overcoming
Zionism, it would be a blow against free speech to remove the book from
distribution on that basis. We conclude that we should not fail to honor
our distribution agreement based on our reservations about the content
of a single book.”
The statement continued: “Such a course raises both First Amendment
issues and concerns about the appearance of censorship. As members of
the university community dedicated to academic freedom and open debate
among differing views, the Executive Board stands firmly for freedom of
expression, and against even the appearance of censorship. In this
instance, both legal and value considerations lead us to the decision to
resume distribution of the book.”
At the same time, the board tried to distance itself from the book and
its publisher. “Had the manuscript gone through the standard review
process used by the University of Michigan Press, the board would not
have recommended publication. But the arrangement with Pluto Press is
for distribution only; the UM Press never intended to review
individually every title published by Pluto (or any other press for
which it holds distribution rights). By resuming distribution, the board
in no way endorses the content of the book.”
In addition, the board announced that Pluto’s decision to publish
Overcoming Zionism “brings into question the viability of UM Press’s
distribution agreement with Pluto Press. The board intends to look into
these matters and decide, later this fall, whether the distribution
contract with Pluto Press should be continued.”
Jonathan Schwartz, a Michigan alumnus who has been blogging critically
about the Kovel book at Anti-Racist Blog: Exposing Anti-Semitism and
Anti-Zionism on American College Campuses, said he was disappointed in
the university’s decision to resume distribution of the book. The
university press board “dodged the issue of the racist content of Mr.
Kovel’s book, and his incredibly offensive messages,” Schwartz said.
“The University of Michigan made a conscious decision to serve as the
distributor of Mr. Kovel’s anti-Zionist propaganda. It is shameful that
Overcoming Zionism is being distributed with U. of M.’s imprimatur and
complicity.”
Kovel could not be reached Tuesday night.
Roger van Zwanenberg, chairman and commissioning editor at Pluto, said
he found the decision about distribution of Overcoming Zionism to be
“reassuring,” but that he found the statements about the “deep
reservations” on the book and the questions about his press to be “less
reassuring.” And he questioned whether these statements are consistent
with academic freedom.
“These so called ‘deep reservations’, stem from what is acceptable
scholarship and what is unacceptable,” he said. Tenure and academic
freedom should protect the tradition of “critical scholarship” and
assure that “unpopular scholarship can thrive,” van Zwanenberg said.
Pluto has always worked within the “critical scholarship” framework, he
said, publishing Marxist and anarchist theorists, among others, and such
well known figures in American academe as Noam Chomsky. “The University
of Michigan Press always knew Pluto published scholars under this
frame,” he said. (Even a brief look at the Pluto Web site shows that the
press makes no attempt to hide its views or the political nature of its
authors.)
From Michigan’s statement, van Zwanenberg said, it appears that “Pluto
may be accused that a single volume does not come up to the standards of
more traditional scholarship.
It would be shameful if this were to occur, as to be accused of
something we never set out to achieve by a scholarly community serves no
one.”
Pluto books, he said, “add to the richness of publishing within any
university arena.”
— Scott Jaschik
