The veteran and widely distributed women's magazine Ms. has rejected a paid advertisement by the American Jewish Congress that was intended to draw attention to the leading women office-holders in Israeli government. Turning down the ad, Ms. magazine editors initially expressed worries about a "firestorm" as a result of the ad's publication, but last week added that it was rejected for being partisan to the Israeli Kadima party.
The proposed ad consisted of photographs of Supreme Court Chief Justice Dorit Beinish, Vice Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, and Knesset Speaker Dalia Itzik above the words, "This is Israel." As the American Jewish Congress noted in a recent press release, the advertisement "did nothing more controversial than call attention to the fact that women currently occupy three of the most significant positions of power in all three branches of the Israeli government -- judicial, legislative and executive."
Ms. magazine's Executive Editor Kathy Spillar told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency last week, "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 noted, however, that "ironically" this month's issue has a two-page spread profiling Foreign Minister Livni.
According to Director of the American Jewish Congress' Commission for Women's Empowerment, Harriet Kurlander, when she tried to place the ad, she was told it "will set off a firestorm" and that "there are very strong opinions" on the subject. A Ms. magazine representative, Susie Gilligan, whom the Ms. Magazine masthead lists under the publisher's office, allegedly told Ms. Kurlander that the magazine "would love to have an ad from you on women’s empowerment, or reproductive freedom, but not on this." A statement by the American Jewish Congress noted that Ms. Gilligan failed to elaborate on what "this" referred to and no one said what the "subject" was about which there are "strong opinions."
"The only conclusion that one can reach from this behavior is that Ms. magazine feels that an ad highlighting the accomplishments of three incredibly talented and dedicated women would offend their readership. Since there is nothing about the ad itself that is offensive, it is obviously the nationality of the women pictured that the management of Ms. fears their readership would find objectionable. For a publication that holds itself out to be in the forefront of the Women's Movement, this is nothing short of disgusting and despicable," stated American Jewish Congress President Richard Gordon.
In a statement released on Monday, Editor Spillar responded to the American Jewish Congress accusations of bias, noting, "Over the past four years (16 issues) Ms. has covered the Israeli feminist movement and women leaders in Israel no fewer than eleven times." 
The ad, according to Spillar, "implied that women in Israel hold equal positions of power with men."
Explaining the editorial decision to reject the paid Congress ad, Spillar wrote, "Ms. policy is to accept only mission-driven advertisements from primarily non-profit, non-partisan organizations that promote women's equality, social justice, sustainable environment, and non-violence. In Ms. magazine's judgment, the ad submitted by AJCongress for consideration was inconsistent with this policy." The ad, according to Spillar, "implied that women in Israel hold equal positions of power with men," which she claimed was a misrepresentation.
The fall issue of Ms. for 2007, its 37th anniversary edition, included an article titled "Faceless in Gaza," another called "Senora Minister" and a third entitled "Feminist Polygamy?!" Past issues have included profiles of Congresswomen Nancy Pelosi and Queen Noor of Jordan, and a feature called "Images of Palestine," which discussed the Ramallah Film Festival and gave sympathetic reviews to films concerning "the liberation of South Lebanon" from Israel and legitimizing terrorism.