The World says No to israeli Occupation
“The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is about to go underground ‹ into the Washington subway system, to be exact. Beginning May 13, some 20 downtown Metro stations will be emblazoned with posters advertising a June 10 rally and march in Washington protesting “Israel’s illegal military occupation of the Palestinian West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem.”
Initially, A CBS Outdoor ( the New York-based company that handles in-station advertising for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority) account executive refused to place the organization’s ad, claiming in a March 9 e-mail that it was “too offensive to be displayed in a public place,” according to Arthur Spitzer, legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union of the National Capital Area.
The executive vice president in charge of marketing, rejected the ad, saying it appeared to violate company policy. “The ad,” she explained in an interview, “included a picture that I felt was inflammatory and was exploitative of children.” How so? it’s presenting the reality of thousands of Palestinian children. It’s not, in anyway, misleading!
The issue was solved, the ad will be displayed in Metro station in Washington beginning May 13. [source]
The ad is dominated by a photograph of a child who is facing a giant tank that looms menacingly in the near distance. The accompanying text reads in part: “Imagine if this were your child’s daily path to school. Palestinians don’t have to imagine.” In larger, bold letters, it also reads: “The World Says No to Israeli Occupation!”
