Here’s what you’ll see on the Washington DC Metro (WMATA) in the near future:
According to Canadian Jewish News,
Initiated by a charity called the U.S. Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation, the 46-by-60-inch posters depict an imposing tank pointing its main firing turret at a child with a schoolbag walking along a dirt road.
“Imagine if this were your child’s path to school. Palestinians don’t have to imagine,†the poster states, before continuing to call for an end to U.S. aid for “Israel’s brutal military occupation… paid for by U.S. taxpayers like you.â€
CBS Outdoor, the New York-based firm that places in-station advertising for WMATA, at first refused to consider the poster, but eventually relented to pressure from WMATA and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). [my emphasis]
Believe it or not, apparently the IRS feels that the “U.S. Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation” is a legitimate charity:
Education for Just Peace in the Middle East, which does business as the US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation, is recognized by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) as 501(c)(3) charitable organization. Donations made to the US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law [from www.endtheoccupation.org].
So if you are a U.S. taxpayer, you may be paying for aid to Israel (as well as aid to the Palestinians, Egypt, etc.), but you are also paying for these posters!
The ACLU and WMATA argue that this is a legitimate exercise of first-amendment rights. I say that the posters are defamatory of the State of Israel, and should not be permitted for this reason.