JTA -- Dana Bash, a senior CNN correspondent, stepped down as a trustee of Jewish Women International because of its abortion rights advocacy.
[Apparently no one raised similar similar conflict of interest issues regarding JWI's membership in an Israeli advocacy organization, its action in joining advocacy efforts for the release of Israeli spy Jonathon Pollard, in co-sponsoring a counter conference to one opposing Israeli apartheid, its co-sponsorship of solidarity rallies in communities around the U.S., and about its publication's pro-Israel stance, which asked in an interview with an Israel advocate: "How can JWI members and other concerned individuals help in this effort to improve Israel's image?"]
"Bash came under scrutiny for her relationship with JWI due to the organization’s long held position on reproductive choice," the group said in a statement Friday.
A number of conservative blogs highlighted the group's position on abortion after JTA reported Bash's acceptance of the position of trustee. Bash is CNN's senior congressional correspondent. [She is married to CNN's John King.]
"Sadly, JWI is a victim to a small minority of people playing politics who have taken one issue from a broad agenda in which JWI engages and sought to politicize the situation,” said JWI's executive director, Lori Weinstein. “It's a sad day for women and girls because Bash’s extraordinary talent could have made a significant difference on critical issues that protect their physical and emotional well-being.”
The release said that Bash "was drawn to JWI because of the organization’s dedication to empowering women and girls through economic literacy, healthy relationship education and leadership training. For more than a dozen years JWI has been a leading organization working to combat violence against women and girls both domestically and internationally."
[There is no evidence that JWI has worked to combat Israeli violence and humiliation of Palestinian women.]
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