“If shewants to serve and please the East Bay Jewish community, she would besafer avoiding the subject entirely.” (Say again? — Ed.)
For the last six years, The Berkeley Daily Planet (send ’em mail here) has published afreewheeling assortment of submissions from readers, who offersharp-elbowed views on everything from raucous college parties(generally bad) to the war in Iraq (ditto).
But since March, that running commentary has been under attack by asmall but vociferous group of critics who accuse the paper’s editor,Becky O’Malley, of publishing too many letters and other commentarypieces critical of Israel. Those accusations are the basis of acampaign to drive away the paper’s advertisers and a Web site thatstrongly suggests The Planet and its editor are anti-Semitic.
“We think that Ms. O’Malley is addicted to anti-Israel expression justas an alcoholic is to drinking,” Jim Sinkinson, who has led thecampaign to discourage advertisers, wrote in an e-mail message. He isthe publisher of Infocom Group, a media relations company. “If shewants to serve and please the East Bay Jewish community, she would besafer avoiding the subject entirely.”