Posted on 07/12/2012 4:18:58 AM PDT by NoKoolAidforMe
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) A seemingly endless debate over politics, religion and territory is coming to a train station near you.
An explosive ad about Israel is now igniting a firestorm of controversy.
The display shows shrinking Palestinian territory in Israel over the years and refers to 4.7 million Palestinians there as refugees.
The ads are appearing in 50 Metro-North stations.
At the train station in White Plains, the politically-charged ad was raising eyebrows.
Thats quite amazing if you ask me, one man told CBS 2′s Scott Rapoport.
Some Jewish leaders said they were concerned.
I think the ad is very offensive, its certainly offensive to Jews, said Dovid Efune, the the editor of the Jewish newspaper The Algemeiner.
Efune said the ad is anti-Semitic.
It paints Jews as aggressors, as imperialists, as people that are stealing or taking land from others, Efune said.
Henry Clifford, the chairman of a group called the Committee for Peace in Israel and Palestine, spent $25,000 of his own money on the ads.
The Palestinian people have lost most of their homeland and the map shows exactly what is happened to them, Clifford said.
When asked what he hopes to get out of the ad campaign, Clifford responded by saying he wants to educate people.
Simply to open their eyes and let them see what has happened on the map, he said.
The advertisements have caught the eye of commuters in White Plains as well.
I thought it was all settled back in the 1970s with the 6 Day War, one man responded.
My reaction is why is there an anti-Israel ad sitting here at the train station? asked Cliff Argintar, of Hoboken, N.J.
Efune is calling for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to take the ads down. However, the MTA said it doesnt restrict ads on the basis of viewpoint and while it doesnt endorse the ad, the posters will remain up.
The Anti-Defamation League, for its part, called the ads Deliberately misleading, biased and fundamentally anti-Israel.
What is your feeling about the ad campaign? Share your thoughts in the comments section below
There is another story on LoHud.com that I cannot post. No other media coverage is available.
Perhaps Anti-Obama ads should start running in the Jewish communities since Obama doesn’t seem to care too much about Israel.
If youd like to be on or off, please FR mail me.
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Committee for Peace in Israel/Palestine
Our Mission
COPIP advocates a two-state solution to the conflict ― a complete withdrawal by Israel from the Occupied Territories, an autonomous and contiguous state for the Palestinians, an end to violence on both sides, and mutually recognized, secure borders for both countries.
COPIP seeks to educate the public through speakers and advertisements; it also lobbies local and national representatives to seek a balanced approach to the conflict. Speakers sponsored by the Committee have included the Palestinian Ambassador to the United Nations; a representative from Peace Now, the Israeli/Jewish-American Peace group; a representative from Human Rights Watch; the coordinator of the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions; and an Israeli soldier who is a member of Courage to Refuse.
A few months ago, the MTA refused to run a pro-Israel add and an anti-Islamist ad.
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