By Ari Soffer – Arutz Sheva
A US judge has ruled that New York City must allow its buses to display a controversial ad exposing Islamist anti-Semitism.
The ad in question – sponsored by the American Freedom Defense Initiative (AFDI) – portrays a masked Hamas terrorist next to a quote from Hamas’s official MTV TV station declaring that: “Killing Jews is worship that brings us close to Allah.”
The ad then asks: “That’s his jihad, what’s yours?”
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) had refused to run the ads, which had been scheduled to run for a full month, claiming it feared they could incite “violence and terrorism”. That decision prompted an appeal by the AFDI, whose lawyer David Yerushalmi ridiculed the suggestion the ads would incite terrorism.
“When our clients run ads exposing this Jew hatred, all of a sudden the transit authorities are worried about the ‘tone’ of the conversation or conjure up some threat of violence,” Yerushalmi said at the time.
In Tuesday’s ruling, Judge John Koeltl agreed, and said the ad should be run in accordance with the constitutional right to freedom of expression.
“It strains credulity to believe that New Yorkers would be incited to violence by ads that did not incite residents of Chicago and San Francisco,” he said.
The MTA has 30 days to appeal, and an MTA spokesman said they were “disappointed” with the ruling and “reviewing our options.”
It is not the first time an ad attacking radical Islam by the American Freedom Defense Initiative has triggered controversy.
In a similar case in March of this year, a judge in Philadelphia ruled in favor of the group, forcing buses to carry ads exposing anti-Semitism in the Muslim world which included the words: “Jew-Hatred: It’s in the Quran.”
An email i sent them: Dear Pamela, I really like the ad and the motives behind it. I think it is smart and exposes Islam’s true colors. The message you are trying to bring out is that Arab terrorists are not a minority, rather they are common and fully backed by the governments and media in Arab countries. Having said that, I would like to suggest a little tweak to the ad. Instead of the last line reading”what’s your jihad?”, what’s about it it read something like “were not as peace-seeking?/loving as we’d have you think!” This, or a similar… Read more »
The MTA is going to be deciding if they are going to stop all political ads – just so they can have a policy in place that the courts cannot touch. What we can do is contact the MTA and tell them we are MTA costumers and we are concerned about our safety and we appreciate how they are protecting us by doing all they can to avoid posting Pamela Geller’s ads. It is easy to leave a message on the Metropolitan Transit Authority page on facebook. Or I guess you could call or write. There are now powerful people… Read more »
What a chilul hashem, chilul lubavitch, and chilul america
David Yerushalmi is working on the assumption that the public reaction will be to recoil in horror. I’m afraid that he’s overlooking a psychological principle ssuccessfully time-tested by the Obama Administration and the Clinton Foundation: Repeated exposure to scandalous civil violations has an immunizing rather than sensitizing effect. Meaning, over time, the public’s reaction changes from outrage to acceptance.
In this case, when transports become a reality the public will have been desensitized. That’s why our enemies support the motion.
I think the idea of #28 is right. Lets boycott the MTA for one day and get massive media on it.
I believe that some great people will find a way to override this. This is worse than absurd.
hmm… i’m a young women in my early 20’s riding the subway to and from work.
I’m scared of wrong reactions to this kind of advertisement.
it shouldn’t say ‘killing jews’ it should say KILLING ALL OF YOU”
The lawyer is a Lubavitch guy living in ch David Yerushalmi someone has to speak to him.
Who’s looking at small little letters (“saying what’s your jihad?”) on a speeding bus all they see is KILL JEWS!!! YOU ARE ENDANGERING THE LIVE OF HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF JEWS!!! GET RID OF THE AD!!!
One Arab teen who has nothing to do with this life, maybe even soul searching and looking for a way to connect to “his god” Allah, to go and murder 5 jews!!! Forget about the suicidal ones!!!!
The so called Jews are known for being anti everything that’s not considered Jewish. He should take that sign and hold it up in Afghanistan
Put all billboards to observe Sheva Mitzvos Bnai Noach.
On the Mitzvah of No Murder you can emphasize Hamas Killing anyone is violating G-D’s commandment.
Nachman S.
Though well meaning it is counter productive to place these ads. It is plausible that these ads will encourage the hidden anti semites to join ISIS or worse. We don’t have presently in the city Muslim Jewish acts of violence so why put these up now?????
Nachman S.
y isn’t everyone just posting comments like I’m doing now
Start actually doing something because comments don’t help
In writing an article we are taught to use a sentence that will catch the readers attention but in Chassidus we learn to use positive speech To leave a true impact of us overcoming evil. It takes our educators longer to catch up to our sages in educating the world according to torah life or a righteous life.
All they have to do is change the word Jews for infidels or U.S. Infidels that would make the right point
If there was a sign about killing any other race or religion, it would never be allowed
Email Pamella Geller, President of American Freedom
Defense: [email protected]
BS”D these negative comments are exactly the reason why terrorists are gaining the upper hand-the ads speak the truth, why fear the terrorists and these commentators sit in their cozy arm chairs at home and decry when a Jewish leader gives in to the world wide pressure and withholding financial aid blackmail and returns territory Chas v Sholem and besmirch him and say ” be strong, don’t give in to the terrorists demands “
The end phrase “that’s his jihad what is yours’ is not productive it incites a negative reaction. As opposed to not writing it where by the reader can take the message as is and be left with food for thought on what jihad means in the Arab world and how it relates to Jew hatred.
Why are the commenters saying this is anti-Semitic?! The ad is exposing islam for what it is, anti-Semitic.
Kol Yisroel Areivim ZeLeZe.
Lets create Keep 7 ads all over New York City
People will see it clearly
Killing is evil
And the rebbe would be thrilled
why dont we see if we can put up signs Bring peace to the world, death to the arabs!!
The ad is misleading and incorrect. It should read: “The MURDER of Jews…” KIlling Jews is the wrong language. Murder is the ‘unwarranted taking of human life,” but one can kill a cow, not ‘Murder’ it. This ad assaults the English language and basic intelligence. Where did Mohammed say Moslems should wantonly murder Jews. What is their source? Let them use the word ‘Murder’ and see if it passes. Let ‘Chabad’ post a powerful ad showing how ‘The 7 Noahide Laws,’ which predates Islam by thousands of years, says murder of anyone is punishable by death and is a great… Read more »
Poor judgment to say the least
Nu? Is this not media terrorism?!?!
A sad day
I think all jews should boycott the MTA for a day. one day is all you need to get the message across.
I didn’t when I first read it. Thank you very much, #7. Looks ligit like an anti-semetic sign, before you read the article.
the media wants us to ignore this stuff so getting it out on the streets may be a good thing.
Unfortunately, the irony and sarcasm may be lost with small minded people …
have they tested the ad with people who english is not thier first language ?
i cant handle this. the world has gone mad
This ad is against Islam, not for it. If you’d read the article you’d notice that the Jews are the ones fighting to put this ad up, not take it down! It’s not anti-semitic, it’s anti-Islam.
But your confusion is understood – the ad does seem like it’s coming from muslims trying to get more people to join their cause, that’s why they are dangerous although there were good intentions behind it.
Emergency!!!
Pls don’t post the pic of the ad on your website
Why such a low opinion of others?
Why on earth would a a yid want it on a bus all over town ??????
Kavana is nice, but take another advertising company !!!!
I’m a Yid with a Masters degree, and I still find this message easily misconstrued, especially “What’s your jihad?”
As if challenging people to “get with it” and “get a jihad,” like it’s the latest trend – and if you don’t have a jihad, there’s something wrong with you 🙁
Also the tone of the article connotes that the organization aspiring to place these ads on the buses seems so driven by and eager to get acknowledgement and approval (validity) from the government. Their “victory” celebration seems a little “beheimah” and Howard Dean-ish.
This ad is dangerous because you assume the average person seeing it is an intelligent, thinking person. Unfortunately, that is not the case and so it can be literally interpreted by the average mind which is: kill jews r’l.
America is starting to look like Europe in the years preceding the Holocaust!!! If we don’t fight this now we are in big trouble.
i think the add is wrong
” al teftac pea “
we need to wake up and smell the funeral roses this is just like the what happened prior to ww11 we need to all stop and condemn this with all our might!!!!!!
Yes, it does blatantly expose anti-semitism – to thinking people who mean well but are somewhat ignorant.
However, to the low-life, low-intellect contingent who are not on the side of good and get excited about violence and terrorism it may be an incitement.
This ad will surely cause discussion on TV, good or bad? CNN versus FOX.
the ad is what it is, we Jews should do our job, spread goodness and kindness, learn Torah,do Mitzvos to bring Moshiach
If this was an add promoting hatred against the muslim community can you just imagine the rioting that would be going on right niw?
But thw Jews…..oh the Jews, just a bunch of shepsalach whom you dont hear a peep from. And this is how r”l we lost 6million
why the —– would they let these stupid idiots to do this.
Anyone that knows the mentality of the average young new yorker would never permit a sign like that to go up.
This will just add fuel to the fire. It is a terrible add and will achieve the opposite of its intention
Her agenda is noble, but her ad backfired because most people are too unsophisticated to understand her point.
What are they crazy. Do they live in lala land. This add could be very dangerous. It sounds like an add encouraging to join ISIS and ch”v to kill..
This Ad is full of incitement and looking to stir up hatred!
Terrible thing for all sides.
SAD
This is exactly what you get, for all of those who voted for Hussain!
Seems extremely dangerous..Can you just imagine if it were the opposite?
Where in heavens name. Are all of the jewish communities to fight this tooth and nail????
WHITE HOUSE LAWN WOULD WORK BETTER!!!
If I were recruiting for ISIS – I would use this ad.
I can see how this AD will incite terrorism.
A simple person who does not get the sarcasm will feel he has to upgrade his Jihad.
I can relate to his thought process… “Hamas has spoken. And this good looking terrorist has risen to the cause. Its time for me to join ISIS.”
No one ever told him the killing Jews is bad. And here it says – killing Jews is good. “No wonder so many people do it. I’m a good guy – I better start killing Jews.”