Facing discipline over controversy

Guardian:

Prominent US figures face backlash and firings for pro-Palestinian statements

A rising number of prominent US figures have faced discipline over controversial public comments they have made about the Palestinian cause,

…

On 19 October, the top art magazine posted a letter entitled: “An open letter from the art community to cultural organizations”. The letter, signed by thousands of artists and cultural workers including Goldin, called for an immediate ceasefire, humanitarian aid into Gaza and broader Palestinian liberation.

“We support Palestinian liberation and call for an end to the killing and harming of all civilians, an immediate ceasefire, the passage of humanitarian aid into Gaza, and the end of the complicity of our governing bodies in grave human rights violations and war crimes,” the letter read, in part.

Velasco was fired shortly after the letter’s publication. He had served as Artforum’s editor-in-chief for six years.

“I have no regrets,” Velasco said in an email to the New York Times. “I’m disappointed that a magazine that has always stood for freedom of speech and the voices of artists has bent to outside pressure.”

In addition to Velasco, another prominent editor was fired after making a Twitter post about Gaza.

Michael Eisen was removed as editor-in-chief of eLife, an academic science journal, Eisen confirmed in a post to X.

“I have been informed that I am being replaced as the Editor in Chief of [eLife] for retweeting a piece [from satirical US website the Onion] that calls out indifference to the lives of Palestinian civilians,” Eisen wrote.

Eisen’s dismissal was confirmed in a 24 October statement from eLife and its board.

Eisen was fired after retweeting an article from the Onion entitled: “Dying Gazans Criticized for Not Using Last Words to Condemn Hamas”.