Libertytree
16th September 2011, 02:15 PM
http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2011/09/16/2011-09-16_mideast_conflict_goes_underground.html
A subway station billboard war is the latest flareup in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The dispute began with posters urging an end to U.S. military (http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/U.S.+Armed+Forces) aid for Israel (http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Israel), prompting a City Council member to demand an end to the ads - and spawning an upcoming series of counter-ads. "This is a highly political campaign with a controversial underlying anti-Israel message," Councilman Lewis Fidler (D-Brooklyn) (http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Lewis+Fidler) wrote MTA President Thomas Prendergast (http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Thomas+Prendergast).
"I would urge you to disallow and/or remove these advertisements."
The group behind the ads, the Westchester County (http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Westchester+County)-based WESPAC Foundation (http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/WESPAC+Foundation), said the subway spots are intended to encourage dialogue and not dissension.
"If the councilman thinks they'e anti-Israeli, he should say why," said Felice Gelman (http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Felice+Gelman), a member of the group. "I have family in Israel. They deserve peace. And U.S. (http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/United+States) policies are not helping."
Israel was slated to receive roughly $3 billion in military aid this year from the U.S. The ads - with the tagline "End U.S. military aid to Israel" - appeared in 18 stations beginning Sept. 5.
The pro-Israel group Stand With Us said it planned to counter the WESPAC campaign with a series of ads appearing in stations later this month.
"We didn't ask for a billboard war," said the nonprofit group's CEO, Roz Rothstein (http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Roz+Rothstein). "But the group putting them up wants a response, and we have to give them a response."
The answering ad shows two small boys with their arms over each other's shoulders. "The Palestinian Authority (http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Palestinian+National+Authority) Must Accept The Jewish State & Teach Peace, Not Hate," the copy reads.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Metropolitan+Transportation+Authority) said it had no problem with the ads.
"There are First Amendment rights (http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/First+Amendment) here, and the advertisement adheres to our guidelines," said MTA spokesman Kevin Ortiz (http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Kevin+Ortiz).
Straphangers in the Times Square (http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Times+Square) subway station shrugged off the controversy.
"I really have no reaction to it," said Alex Zambrano (http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Alex+Zambrano), 34, of the East Village (http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/East+Village). "I know what's going on in Palestine (http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Palestine) and Israel. But it's just like every other ad that no one pays attention to."
pdonohue@nydailynews.com
A subway station billboard war is the latest flareup in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The dispute began with posters urging an end to U.S. military (http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/U.S.+Armed+Forces) aid for Israel (http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Israel), prompting a City Council member to demand an end to the ads - and spawning an upcoming series of counter-ads. "This is a highly political campaign with a controversial underlying anti-Israel message," Councilman Lewis Fidler (D-Brooklyn) (http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Lewis+Fidler) wrote MTA President Thomas Prendergast (http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Thomas+Prendergast).
"I would urge you to disallow and/or remove these advertisements."
The group behind the ads, the Westchester County (http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Westchester+County)-based WESPAC Foundation (http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/WESPAC+Foundation), said the subway spots are intended to encourage dialogue and not dissension.
"If the councilman thinks they'e anti-Israeli, he should say why," said Felice Gelman (http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Felice+Gelman), a member of the group. "I have family in Israel. They deserve peace. And U.S. (http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/United+States) policies are not helping."
Israel was slated to receive roughly $3 billion in military aid this year from the U.S. The ads - with the tagline "End U.S. military aid to Israel" - appeared in 18 stations beginning Sept. 5.
The pro-Israel group Stand With Us said it planned to counter the WESPAC campaign with a series of ads appearing in stations later this month.
"We didn't ask for a billboard war," said the nonprofit group's CEO, Roz Rothstein (http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Roz+Rothstein). "But the group putting them up wants a response, and we have to give them a response."
The answering ad shows two small boys with their arms over each other's shoulders. "The Palestinian Authority (http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Palestinian+National+Authority) Must Accept The Jewish State & Teach Peace, Not Hate," the copy reads.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Metropolitan+Transportation+Authority) said it had no problem with the ads.
"There are First Amendment rights (http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/First+Amendment) here, and the advertisement adheres to our guidelines," said MTA spokesman Kevin Ortiz (http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Kevin+Ortiz).
Straphangers in the Times Square (http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Times+Square) subway station shrugged off the controversy.
"I really have no reaction to it," said Alex Zambrano (http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Alex+Zambrano), 34, of the East Village (http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/East+Village). "I know what's going on in Palestine (http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Palestine) and Israel. But it's just like every other ad that no one pays attention to."
pdonohue@nydailynews.com