Overcoming Oversight
By Jonathan Harris - Detroit Jewish News
By Jonathan Harris - Detroit Jewish News
October 18, 07
Regrettably, the University of Michigan Press (UMP) has decided to put John Kovel’s “Overcoming Zionism,” back on its distribution list. The book was published by UK ’s Pluto Press in 2007, and UMP apparently has a 4-year old exclusive agreement with Pluto to distribute its publications in the U.S.
Unlike many of those defending UMP’s decision, StandWithUs-Michigan read Kovel’s work before commenting on it. It is a rambling narrative of anti-Israel propaganda, misquotes, and discredited news stories, and frequently verges into anti-Semitism.
In early August, after learning that the book was being distributed in the U.S. exclusively by UMP, StandWithUs-Michigan alerted UMP and University President Mary Sue Coleman about its disturbing, unscholarly content. UMP temporarily suspended distribution pending a review by its executive board, and subsequently resumed distribution.
It is surprising that UMP would give its imprimatur to such a book, but UMP’s agreement with Pluto Press reveals a far greater failing. In a private email to Kovel, made public, apparently by Kovel himself in late August, UMP director Phil Pochoda savaged the book as a “reckless, vicious, and unmodulated attack on Zionism and all Zionists.” His single, seemingly self-evident reason for not reading the book before approving its distribution it was “because it was a Pluto title.” The university confirmed that Pluto Press distributes several hundred titles via UMP, none of which are reviewed, and this has been standard in their “four-year relationship.”
Pluto Press is not an academic or even true commercial publisher. The British Socialist Workers’ Party founded it in 1969 as the pamphleteer of International Socialism. Though now independent, Pluto Press has always been an ideological enterprise, and calls itself “one of the world’s leading radical book publishers.”
On the other hand, UMP was founded in 1930 to publish “important scholarly research.” But for the past four years, the prestigious UMP has, in effect, endorsed as “scholarship” many Pluto authors like Kovel who most likely could not be published anywhere else. Radical, anti-Zionist and anti-Semitic writers like Israel Shahak (whose work is a staple of anti-Semitic websites and one of whose books is available in its entirety on Radio Islam’s website), as well as avowed communist Boris Kagarlitsky, and hundreds of other activist-authors who found a home at Pluto Press are distributed by UMP.
Following the executive board’s review of the book on Sept. 7, the University released a statement expressing reservations about Kovel and Pluto, but reinstated the book for two reasons: “contract obligations” and concern about violating “free speech.”
Contract obligations must be upheld, but the University’s statement begs more important questions. Why did UMP enter into an unrestricted contract with “one of the world’s leading radical book publishers” in the first place? Why aren’t Pluto books subject to the peer review that is standard for academic presses and that gives prestige and acceptability to university press publications?
The issue is not free speech. StandWithUs unqualifiedly supports freedom of the press, and the ideologically driven Pluto Press certainly has the right to publish whatever it wishes, however reprehensible the works may seem to others. The question is not Pluto’s right to publish these views, but rather, whether it is right for UMP to distribute and, in effect, promote them. Whenever a publisher distributes books produced by other publishing houses, the inescapable conclusion is that they meet certain standards. When the publisher is a university press, readers are led to believe that an academic review has taken place, and that a high standard has been met. The university may protest that UMP’s distribution of Pluto Press books does not constitute a legal endorsement, but that is not the message conveyed to the public.
The saga of Kovel’s book reveals that there has been virtually no academic oversight of UMP. Kovel’s text appears to be the first Pluto Press publication to get serious scrutiny. The university official who read it likened it to hate speech and ceased its distribution. The university board declared that it did not merit academic publication by UMP. It is disturbing that UMP probably has also distributed under its prestigious imprimatur many other Pluto polemics that would get equally damning reviews.
Even more disquieting is that UMP is violating the University of Michigan’s professed commitment to presenting a wide range of views. Through its special agreement with Pluto, UMP is promoting one ideology: the leftist radicalism and toxic anti-Zionism that make up Pluto’s inventory. Surely if UMP chose to distribute exclusively and without review all publications from the John Birch Society, there would be a vocal and swift condemnation and no grand appeals to the principle of free speech.
Now that Kovel’s book has exposed some questionable UMP policies, the University and UMP should investigate and change their peculiar arrangement with Pluto Press. Otherwise, UMP undermines its founding mission, damages the university’s reputation, and violates the trust of readers everywhere who believe that university presses subscribe to high standards of scholarship.
Jonathan Harris is the director of the Michigan chapter of StandWithUs.
The above editorial was published in the Detroit Jewish News this week.
Regrettably, the University of Michigan Press (UMP) has decided to put John Kovel’s “Overcoming Zionism,” back on its distribution list. The book was published by UK ’s Pluto Press in 2007, and UMP apparently has a 4-year old exclusive agreement with Pluto to distribute its publications in the U.S.
Unlike many of those defending UMP’s decision, StandWithUs-Michigan read Kovel’s work before commenting on it. It is a rambling narrative of anti-Israel propaganda, misquotes, and discredited news stories, and frequently verges into anti-Semitism.
In early August, after learning that the book was being distributed in the U.S. exclusively by UMP, StandWithUs-Michigan alerted UMP and University President Mary Sue Coleman about its disturbing, unscholarly content. UMP temporarily suspended distribution pending a review by its executive board, and subsequently resumed distribution.
It is surprising that UMP would give its imprimatur to such a book, but UMP’s agreement with Pluto Press reveals a far greater failing. In a private email to Kovel, made public, apparently by Kovel himself in late August, UMP director Phil Pochoda savaged the book as a “reckless, vicious, and unmodulated attack on Zionism and all Zionists.” His single, seemingly self-evident reason for not reading the book before approving its distribution it was “because it was a Pluto title.” The university confirmed that Pluto Press distributes several hundred titles via UMP, none of which are reviewed, and this has been standard in their “four-year relationship.”
Pluto Press is not an academic or even true commercial publisher. The British Socialist Workers’ Party founded it in 1969 as the pamphleteer of International Socialism. Though now independent, Pluto Press has always been an ideological enterprise, and calls itself “one of the world’s leading radical book publishers.”
On the other hand, UMP was founded in 1930 to publish “important scholarly research.” But for the past four years, the prestigious UMP has, in effect, endorsed as “scholarship” many Pluto authors like Kovel who most likely could not be published anywhere else. Radical, anti-Zionist and anti-Semitic writers like Israel Shahak (whose work is a staple of anti-Semitic websites and one of whose books is available in its entirety on Radio Islam’s website), as well as avowed communist Boris Kagarlitsky, and hundreds of other activist-authors who found a home at Pluto Press are distributed by UMP.
Following the executive board’s review of the book on Sept. 7, the University released a statement expressing reservations about Kovel and Pluto, but reinstated the book for two reasons: “contract obligations” and concern about violating “free speech.”
Contract obligations must be upheld, but the University’s statement begs more important questions. Why did UMP enter into an unrestricted contract with “one of the world’s leading radical book publishers” in the first place? Why aren’t Pluto books subject to the peer review that is standard for academic presses and that gives prestige and acceptability to university press publications?
The issue is not free speech. StandWithUs unqualifiedly supports freedom of the press, and the ideologically driven Pluto Press certainly has the right to publish whatever it wishes, however reprehensible the works may seem to others. The question is not Pluto’s right to publish these views, but rather, whether it is right for UMP to distribute and, in effect, promote them. Whenever a publisher distributes books produced by other publishing houses, the inescapable conclusion is that they meet certain standards. When the publisher is a university press, readers are led to believe that an academic review has taken place, and that a high standard has been met. The university may protest that UMP’s distribution of Pluto Press books does not constitute a legal endorsement, but that is not the message conveyed to the public.
The saga of Kovel’s book reveals that there has been virtually no academic oversight of UMP. Kovel’s text appears to be the first Pluto Press publication to get serious scrutiny. The university official who read it likened it to hate speech and ceased its distribution. The university board declared that it did not merit academic publication by UMP. It is disturbing that UMP probably has also distributed under its prestigious imprimatur many other Pluto polemics that would get equally damning reviews.
Even more disquieting is that UMP is violating the University of Michigan’s professed commitment to presenting a wide range of views. Through its special agreement with Pluto, UMP is promoting one ideology: the leftist radicalism and toxic anti-Zionism that make up Pluto’s inventory. Surely if UMP chose to distribute exclusively and without review all publications from the John Birch Society, there would be a vocal and swift condemnation and no grand appeals to the principle of free speech.
Now that Kovel’s book has exposed some questionable UMP policies, the University and UMP should investigate and change their peculiar arrangement with Pluto Press. Otherwise, UMP undermines its founding mission, damages the university’s reputation, and violates the trust of readers everywhere who believe that university presses subscribe to high standards of scholarship.
Jonathan Harris is the director of the Michigan chapter of StandWithUs.
The above editorial was published in the Detroit Jewish News this week.
