SOMETIMES it is the small news story which does not attract much
comment which worries away in the back of one's mind. For me, it
was the news that the HarperCollins publishing house had omitted
Israel from the atlases it produces for English-speaking schools in
the Gulf.
A spokesman for the company explained, with breathtaking
insouciance, that leaving Israel off the map reflected "local
preferences".
The atlas shows Syria and Lebanon, Gaza and Jordan; but, as far
as a Gulf-based user is concerned, Israel does not exist. Publicity
material claimed that the atlas offered "in-depth coverage of the
region and its issues, including its challenges and its economic
development".
After some sharp remarks from the chair of the Roman Catholic
Bishops' Conference Department of International Affairs, and the
director of the Council of Christians and Jews (CCJ), it was
reported that HarperCollins had reconsidered, and the atlases had
been withdrawn.
But what a crazy situation for a respected publishing house to
get into. And what a message it sends to those who are busy wiping
out borders in other parts of the Middle East. The implication is
that Western companies can also wipe out borders, even those
recognised by the UN, if they can make a fast buck by pandering to
"local preferences". Perhaps Vladimir Putin would like to hire
HarperCollins to produce an atlas displaying his ambitions for the
regions he appears to believe fall naturally into Russia's sphere
of influence. I am sure the Kurds would like one showing Kurdistan
as an independent nation; and, of course, we could court popularity
with Spain by omitting "(UK)" from beside Gibraltar on maps of the
Iberian peninsula.
Maps reflect facts, not wishes. I have no sympathy whatsoever
with the Israeli bombing of Gaza last year. I deplore the continued
appropriation of Palestinian lands by Israeli settlers.
But I can almost make sense of Israeli paranoia when a Western
publisher colludes with popular Arab sentiment in casually wiping
Israel off the map. As the CCJ's director, Jane Clements, said,
"Maps can be a very powerful tool in terms of de-legitimising 'the
other'."
There is a nasty expression for Israel, used in some Arab
communities: "the Jewish entity". Not a nation, nor a recognised
state, but an upstart intruder, which should not be there.
The truly shocking thing about the story has been that
apparently only the RC Bishops and the CCJ have taken the trouble
to make a fuss about it.
The Revd Angela Tilby is Diocesan Canon of Christ Church,
Oxford, and Continuing Ministerial Development Adviser for the
diocese of Oxford.