Our Israel-bashing Libraries
by George Baker January 11, 2004
Are you ready for this one? Hamas and Fateh are not terrorist groups. They
are political organizations!!! That is what it says on a website, and
sadly, you do not have to be very naive to believe it. You see, a librarian
put it together, and people tend to trust librarians. They think of them as
knowledgeable and fair-minded. Well, maybe they shouldn't.
The website remains the handiwork of Christof Galli, Middle East resources
specialist at Duke University's Perkins Library, and member of the Muslim
Networks Consortium, a group run, in part, by Ebrahim Moosa, who teaches at
Duke. As reported in the April 23rd edition of The Chronicle, a Duke
University newspaper, Professor Moosa has exclaimed: "I think the language
of 'terrorism' is going to go out, and it's going to be replaced with
'resistance' and 'liberation' from American power."
In its original form, Galli tellingly entitled the website "Palestine
Internet Resources," and it contained a map on which Israel was nonexistent.
Neither has the website, defended in writing by head librarian David
Ferriero, been limited to simply bashing Israel, along with the usual, more
subtle anti-Jewish asides so many opponents of that tiny nation relish in
spewing out. Rather, it continues to be quite overtly anti-Semitic, linking
to a racist cartoon, for example, in which the Star of David is crafted
from barbed wire!
I consider myself to be on the center of the political spectrum, but must
give considerable credit to the Duke Conservative Union. It was the DCU
whose members first exposed the website's bigotry, as well as the
overwhelmingly pervasive anti-Bush sentiments, found on a second Perkins
Library website, likewise constructed by Galli. A recent editorial in New
Sense, a DCU magazine, summed up this sorry state of affairs: "Mr. Galli
and Mr. Ferriero should be deeply ashamed of their actions. The former
'librarian' misused his post as a bully pulpit to preach to unsuspecting
students. The latter is too foolish to realize this. Neither man deserves a
position at a serious institution of higher learning."
But what happened in the Perkins Library is not, by any means, unique.
Ponder what has been taking place at the Boulder Public Library, in
Colorado. The outreach librarian there is Lebanon-born Ghada Elturk, who
has been active in the American Library Association's International
Relations Round Table. Her published writings reveal someone who is a
passionate advocate of the Palestinian cause. But has Elturk used her job
to propagandize for it? You be the judge. In April of 2002 alone, at least
six pro-Palestinian, and no pro-Israeli films were shown, in the library's
main branch. The distributors have vaunted one of those scheduled, "The
Bombing," as a motion picture which does not take sides, but that is simply
not the case. Its narration unequivocally blames the Israelis for the
homicide/suicide bombings, instead of placing the onus on the Palestinian
Authority's unrelenting indoctrination about the "glories" of jihad.
However, the distributing agency did have "Welcome to Hadassah Hospital,"
their only film, at the time, that leaned in favor of Israel. Why wasn't
even that single documentary among the films shown to those in attendance?
Moreover, several of the pro-Palestinian films, viewed that month, were
added to the Boulder Public Library's permanent collection, and are
currently available for loan. Acquisitions at the library have, for some
time, been heavily skewed against Israel. An examination of its online
catalog will confirm that. Yet another pro-Palestinian program has already
been scheduled there for November 1, 2004.
Clearly, a very disturbing trend, one that raises distinct questions about
professional ethics and accountability, is taking root in our libraries.
Please understand that I am NOT advocating censorship. But aren't
communities entitled to fairness, balance, discretion, and sensitivity from
their public libraries? Aren't those values supposed to underlie the
library profession? And are they not especially important when ethnic and
international political disputes, of long duration, are involved?
The pro-Palestinian film series, which was held in the Flint Michigan
Public Library, this past November, was a trifle more restrained than the
one in Boulder. "Only" three pro-Palestinian films were shown, with no
pro-Israeli ones!
There was a bit of media variety, in two separate Israel-bashing programs,
at the New Brunswick, New Jersey Public Library, in 2002. On June 29th, an
anti-Israel film was shown, and exactly four months later, an anti-Israel
lecture, with accompanying slideshow, was presented. The International
Solidarity Movement's New Jersey offshoot, led by Charlotte Kates,
notorious for declaring that Israeli children are a "legitimate target,"
was heavily involved in these affairs. I know of no recent pro-Israel
programs at this library.
Neither has there been any presentation in rebuttal to separate anti-Israel
films, respectively shown in the auditorium of the Berkeley Public Library
on October 30th and November 6th, of last year. And these happenings have
not been the only times this library has engaged in
grandstanding for the Palestinian side. Back in 1998, a display window at
its main entrance was "graced" with an exhibition of drawings by
Palestinian children, having such inflammatory titles as: "Three Israelis
Deport a Palestinian Woman From the Homeland" and "Tear Gas in My Eyes." On
January 30, 1998, The Jewish Bulletin of Northern California, quoted Jack
Kessler, of the Israel Action Network, in Berkeley, as follows: "It's an
attempt to smear the Israelis...It's doubly intolerable by being on public
property and being sponsored by the library..." There have been, of late,
increasing acts of anti-Semitic violence and vandalism in Berkeley. To what
extent have the library's programs encouraged these outrages?
In Iowa, at the Ames Public Library, what may be the granddaddy of "let's
gang up on Israel" motion picture events, has perhaps resulted in even more
bitterness and division than the others. Because of it, some within the
small Jewish community of Ames, are now feeling vulnerable and isolated.
Friendships of longstanding have ended and one man, who had volunteered in
the library, quit doing so, to protest what transpired.
Beginning on September 11, 2003, and continuing into December, an
astonishing thirteen films were shown, under the title "Palestine
Unabridged," without any that were sympathetic to Israel! Some Ames
residents, disgusted by this massive propaganda fest, requested that a five
minute statement be read prior to the showing of one of the movies, "Jenin,
Jenin." Without a doubt, the film arouses hatred for Jews, in general, as
it is replete with canards, enhanced by dishonest editing, which
incorporated footage taken from other times and places. Among those who
have refuted the lies in it have been: an official UN investigative unit;
Dr. David Sangan, an IDF physician who personally witnessed what actually
transpired; a French-led team which produced the documentary, "The Road To
Jenin;" and even Thabet Mardawi, a Palestinian that fought there, who was
later interviewed on CNN. Needless to say, the UN, CNN, and Mardawi can not
exactly be accused of partiality to Israel.
Why hasn't "The Road To Jenin" been shown at the Ames Public Library? Why
were the Ames citizens, who wanted their comment read, told "absolutely
not?" Indeed, even after adult services librarian, Lynne Carey,
acknowledged the anger generated by "Palestine Unabridged," she was quoted
in the November 13th Iowa State Daily, as saying: "We haven't considered
pulling the program despite the concerns." Why wasn't that even considered?
Was not such close-minded determination indicative of a lack of
responsiveness, from public employees, mandated to serve everyone, without
prejudice? Why was "Palestine Unabridged" dedicated to the memory of Rachel
Corrie? And who was it that decided to bring Corrie's aunt and cousin, who
do not even live in Iowa, to the library, for a ceremony marking the
inception of the series?
Corrie was the U.S. flag-burning member of the aforementioned,
terror-enabling International Solidarity Movement. She was accidentally
killed when she entered a closed military zone, during an IDF operation
aimed at destroying tunnels used for smuggling weapons, from Egypt into
Gaza. Has either the Ames Public Library or Duke's Perkins Library done
something to honor the memory of Dina Carter, the young Israeli-American
and Duke University graduate, murdered with eight others, when a Hamas thug
blew up the Frank Sinatra Cafeteria, on the Hebrew University campus? Miss
Carter had been a librarian-archivist at the Jewish National Library, on
Mount Scopus, and on the day of her death, she was registering for courses
to improve her professional skills. Unlike Rachel Corrie, she never
mutilated a U.S. flag!
Sorry, but I feel no sympathy for Gina Millsap, the head librarian, who is
now unhappy that the library is being called anti-Semitic. Quite
ironically, she is active in the Intellectual Freedom Round Table of the
American Library Association. Ms. Millsap, exactly how did such a long,
publicly funded program, promoting only one viewpoint, contribute to the
freedom of inquiry?
I doubt that many will be fooled by condescending gestures. Belatedly,
those who organized this travesty, requested The Ames Tribune to list and
review a number of pro-Israeli books, and the newspaper did so. But has
that made things right and equitable? Do the reviews really pack the visual
and emotional wallop of almost three months of pro-Palestinian films?
There have been other recent Israel-bashing fiestas that limitations of
space prevent me from mentioning, at this point. By the time this article
appears in print, a public library in the Midwest will probably have hosted
an especially big and nasty one. More articles about the bias in libraries
may well be forthcoming. And some class action, taxpayer lawsuits are in
order to hold municipalities, state governments, administrators, boards and
trustees accountable, when those who work in our public, academic and
school libraries decide that partisanship is more important than the
professional obligation to be fair.
The president of Duke University is Dr. Nannerl O. Keohane, [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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