The Free Speech Battle Begins: Pro-Freedom Geller Vs. Pro-Sharia MTA

The battle for free speech begins. The very idea that the MTA would censor free speech in defense of the blasphemy laws under the sharia speaks volumes as to the success of the stealth jihad in America. How many New Yorkers find the ant-semitic ads the MTA approved offensive, bigoted and incitement against the Jews. But they ran them anyway. Our ads are not nearly as controversial but they are pro-Israel, pro-freedom. I hope the MTA is prepared to go to the Supreme Court because we are.

Here is the latest from legal warrior, David Yerushalmi to CBS/MTA:

From: David Yerushalmi
Subject: Ad submission by AFDI/Pam Geller to CBS/MTA
 
Dear Mr. Marcus:
 
My client forwarded to me your email (below) wherein you state the ad copy AFDI submitted violates Section 5.05( C )(2) of the MTA’s Advertising Standards.  Presumably you are referring to the word “savage” in the copy.  My client is not prepared to alter its ad copy, and specifically not this word.  We hereby demand a formal and final determination by close of business on Friday, September 22, 2011.  A non-response by that deadline, given the time MTA-CBS has already had to review this copy, will be understood as a formal and final rejection.
 
Let me be unambiguous.  First, the word savage cannot violate the standard you cite because it is patently not demeaning an individual or group of individuals on account of “race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, gender, age, disability, or sexual orientation.” It mentions neither individual nor group and it intends none. Specifically, it is a word in context describing behavior qua behavior.  Certainly you recognize that the ad copy does not mention an individual or group of individuals falling within one of the Standard’s rubrics (i.e., “race, color, etc.”).  Finally, as a word describing behavior, it quite obviously applies not to any one of Israel’s enemies in any one geographical location, but all her enemies who behave savagely. Precisely because it is a noun describing behavior (i.e., savage behavior), it cannot be demeaning because an individual or group who does not behave savagely is not captured by the word; an individual or group that does behave savagely, is similarly not demeaned because we presume men act in the way they intend and a savage intends to act savagely.
 
Finally, a word about the Standard itself and the way MTA/CBS is applying it.  There can be no question that once the MTA opened up this forum for political advocacy, it cannot use the “demeaning” filter to decide which political speech it accepts and which it does not. The application in this context of the Standard, especially here where as noted above, there is absolutely no reference to one of the categories (i.e., race, religion) but rather to behavior (i.e., savage behavior), the MTA’s rejection of the word “savage” is most assuredly a viewpoint-based censorship, in violation of the First Amendment.  If the MTA, as the organ of state authority, now understands itself in the business of toning down and even modifying the viewpoint of the speakers it has invited into this public forum, it has manifestly and egregiously crossed the line clearly drawn by the First Amendment and the jurisprudence promulgated thereunder.
 
David Yerushalmi
Law Offices of David Yerushalmi, P.C.:
Washington, D.C., New York, California & Arizon
==========================================================================

David Yerushalmi was responding to the official rejection of our pro-Israel ad:

Date: September 21, 2011 3:36:26 PM EDT
To: Pamela Geller <pamelageller@gmail.com>
Subject: CBS Outdoor

Dear Pam,

Thank you for your ad submission; in its current version, we do not approve this ad for the reasons set forth below and the MTA’s Director of Real Estate has concurred pursuant to Section 5.05 ( C )(2) of the MTA’s Advertising Standards. (A copy of those Standards is attached.). Regarding issue-oriented advertisements we do not approve or disapprove such advertisements for display of the MTA’s transit system based upon the viewpoint expressed. As you may know, we have recently accepted for display paid advertisements submitted by organizations on the subject of U.S. military aid to Israel and the Palestinian Authority’s relationship with Israel that have expressed strongly competing views.
Your proposed ad, however, contains language that, in our view, does not conform with the MTA’s advertising standards regarding ads that demean an individual or group of individuals as set forth in Section 5.05(B)(11) of the MTA’s Advertising Standards.
 
We invite you – as provided in Section 5.05 ( C )(3) of the Advertising Standards – to discuss with us possible revisions to your ad; should you choose to submit a revised ad, we will review that submission promptly. Alternatively, if you do not want to consider any possible revisions, you may ask us to obtain from the MTA its formal and final determination of whether this ad conforms with its Advertising Standards.
 
Regards,
Howard
 
 
Kenneth S. Pober
CBS Outdoor
Vice President
New York Market Manager
212-297-6415

Previously at Atlas: It's Official: Pro-Jihad MTA Bans Pro-Israel Ads, Runs Anti-Israel Ads

VIDEO: Pamela Geller on WPIX News: MTA Bans Pro-Israel Subway Ads, Approves Anti-Semitic Ads

NY Post: "Blogger battling MTA over ads give agency ultimatum"

 NY Daily News: "Blogger Pamela Geller vows to sue MTA if subway ad calling Israel's enemies 'savages' isn't approved"

CBS Outdoor/NYC Transit Delays Approval of AFDI Pro-Israel Campaign Despite Approving Anti-Israel Subway Ads

CBS Outdoor/NYC Transit to Run Antisemitic Ads

The pro-jihad MTA is refusing my ad for the word "savage." Just so you know, I will be suing, with the aid of my inestimable legal team, David Yerushalmi and Robert Muise of the Thomas More Law Center. We are what? 4-0, now? Tarazi lawsuit roundly defeated, check. Detroit/SMART Transit on "Leaving Islam" bus ad lawsuit, check. MTA on the Ground Zero Bus ads lawsuit, check. Miami Transit for "Leaving Islam" bus ads lawsuit, check.

I will say this until someone in those clueless ivory towers of the sharia-compliant MTA understands this. "Savage" is accurate. The pro-jihad MTA cannot ban the the truth, particularly in the political arena:

sav·age

1. fierce, ferocious, or cruel; untamed

2. uncivilized; barbarous

Palestinians throwing rocks at a 20-month-old baby is savage. The targeting of civilians is savage. The relentless 60-year campaign of terror against the Jewish people is savage. The torture of hostage Gilad Shalit is savage. The bloody hacking to death of the Fogel family is savage. Munich was savage. The unspeakable torture of Ehud Goldwasser is savage. The tens of thousands of rockets fired from Gaza into Southern Israel (into schools, homes, etc.) are savage. The vicious Jew-hatred behind this genocide is savage. The endless demonization of the Jewish people in the Pali and Arab media is savage. The refusal to recognize the state of Israel as a Jewish state is savage. The list is endless.

Here is the latest from the quislings:

Dear Pam,

Thank you for your ad submission; in its current version, we do not approve this ad for the reasons set forth below and the MTA’s Director of Real Estate has concurred pursuant to Section 5.05 ( C )(2) of the MTA’s Advertising Standards. (A copy of those Standards is attached.). Regarding issue-oriented advertisements we do not approve or disapprove such advertisements for display of the MTA’s transit system based upon the viewpoint expressed. As you may know, we have recently accepted for display paid advertisements submitted by organizations on the subject of U.S. military aid to Israel and the Palestinian Authority’s relationship with Israel that have expressed strongly competing views.
Your proposed ad, however, contains language that, in our view, does not conform with the MTA’s advertising standards regarding ads that demean an individual or group of individuals as set forth in Section 5.05(B)(11) of the MTA’s Advertising Standards.

We invite you – as provided in Section 5.05 ( C )(3) of the Advertising Standards – to discuss with us possible revisions to your ad; should you choose to submit a revised ad, we will review that submission promptly. Alternatively, if you do not want to consider any possible revisions, you may ask us to obtain from the MTA its formal and final determination of whether this ad conforms with its Advertising Standards.

Kenneth S. Pober
CBS Outdoor
Vice President
New York Market Manager
212-297-6415

Download Advertising Standards

Previously at Atlas: VIDEO: Pamela Geller on WPIX News: MTA Bans Pro-Israel Subway Ads, Approves Anti-Semitic Ads

NY Post: "Blogger battling MTA over ads give agency ultimatum"

 NY Daily News: "Blogger Pamela Geller vows to sue MTA if subway ad calling Israel's enemies 'savages' isn't approved"

CBS Outdoor/NYC Transit Delays Approval of AFDI Pro-Israel Campaign Despite Approving Anti-Israel Subway Ads

CBS Outdoor/NYC Transit to Run Antisemitic Ads

I went from controversial to radical in under 24 hours. Who is spiking NY Post's reporter Jennifer Ferminoa's kool-aid? Lay off the Muslim Broterhood sources, Jen.

Now I am a "radical" blogger. Truth is radical. Morality is radical. But a genocidal ideology is not radical or savage. The media is utterly corrupt:

Blogger battling MTA over ads give agency ultimatum NY Post

A radical blogger who claims the MTA is refusing to run her subway ads likening the enemies of the Jewish state to "savages" has given the transit agency an ultimatum.

Pamela Geller's lawyer sent a letter to the MTA today demanding approval of her controversial ad by Friday.

If the MTA doesn't respond by then, Geller said she will take them to court for violating her First Amendment Rights.

"This is fair warning," Geller writes in the letter.

She applied to place her ads in the subway last week, but still hasn't heard from the MTA.

Her strongly-worded ad reads, "In any war between the civilized man and the savage, support the civilized man. Support Israel. Defeat Jihad.”

Geller — co-founder of the American Freedom Defense Initiative — wants to run her ads to run as a rebuttal to billboards from an anti-Israel group.

[…]

Those ads features pictures of smiling children with the message, “We are on the side of peace and justice. End US military aid to Israel.”

Read the rest.

Tell me again why the word "savage" is inaccurate. The targeting of civilians is savage. The relentless 60-year campaign of terror against the Jewish people is savage. The torture of hostage Gilad Shalit is savage. The bloody hacking to death of the Fogel family is savage. Munich was savage. The unspeakable torture of Ehud Goldwasser is savage. The tens of thousands of rockets fired from Gaza into Southern Israel (into schools, homes, etc.) are savage. The vicious Jew-hatred behind this genocide is savage. The endless demonization of the Jewish people in the Pali and Arab media is savage. The refusal to recognize the state of Israel as a Jewish state is savage. The list is endless.

Palestinian "rioters" throw stones today in Israel

Check out the news report on the MTA ban on our pro-Israel subway ads while running the repulsive antisemitic, anti-Israel ads. The culture is subsumed by evil and the inability or unwillingness to distinguish between right and wrong.

Everyone is shocked (shocked, I tell ya) by the use of the word savage for savages. The targeting of civilians is savage. The relentless 60-year campaign of terror against the Jewish people is savage. The torture of hostage Gilad Shalit is savage. The bloody hacking to death of the Fogel family is savage. Munich was savage. The unspeakable torture of Ehud Goldwasser is savage. The tens of thousands of rockets fired from Gaza into Southern Israel (into schools, homes, etc.) are savage. The vicious Jew-hatred behind this genocide is savage. The endless demonization of the Jewish people in the Pali and Arab media is savage. The refusal to recognize the state of Israel as a Jewish state is savage. The list is endless.

But we are supposed to tiptoe around the savages, so as not to enflame the savages.

Of course the NY Daily News Pete Donahue resorts to Muslim Brotherhood smears like anti-Muslim and anti-Islam when referring to me. It seems left media is unable to accurately report anything. I am counter jihad. NY Daily News: "Blogger Pamela Geller vows to sue MTA if subway ad calling Israel's enemies 'savages' isn't approved"

The NY Post is a bit more even handed calling me "controversial" and describing my ad as inflammatory. Truth is inflammatory.

‘Mideast’ battle on subways  

A holy war is brewing on the city’s subways.

“We’re preparing the paperwork as we speak.” 

An controversial activist — incensed at a slew of underground billboards denigrating Israel — is threatening to sue the MTA if it doesn’t run her counter-ads likening enemies of the Jewish state to “savages.”

“This is an absolute free-speech issue,” said Pamela Geller.

Her inflammatory ad was sent to the MTA a week ago, but she has yet to receive a response.

From past experience, Geller — co-founder of the American Freedom Defense Initiative — said it usually takes a matter of hours for approval. But this isn’t just any advertisement.

“In any war between the civilized man and the savage, support the civilized man,” the ad states. “Support Israel. Defeat Jihad.”

The ad is meant as a response to more than a dozen subway-stations anti-Israel billboards put up in by a group called WESPACK since the beginning of the month.

The MTA declined comment.

Read the rest.

The Daily News is covering the prohibition of our pro-Israel ads with their usual anti-Islam submission to the sharia. There is a vote on the story here. Go. Vote. 85% agree with my message, do you?

Blogger Pamela Geller vows to sue MTA if subway ad calling Israel's enemies 'savages' isn't approved  New York Daily News

An anti-Islam activist is threatening to sue the MTA if it doesn't approve her bus and subway advertisement calling Israel's enemies savages.

Pamela Geller submitted the proposed ad to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's media management company more than a week ago but still hasn't learned if it has been approved or rejected.

"I will sue," Geller said. "It's a free speech issue."

The strongly worded ad states, "In any war between the civilized man and the savage, support the civilized man. Support Israel. Defeat jihad."

Geller, co-founder of the American Freedom Defense Initiative, said the message is meant to counter posters in 18 subway stations calling for the end of U.S. military aid to Israel. They were paid for by the Westchester-based WESPAC Foundation and began a one-month run earlier in September.

The MTA already has accepted counter ads from the pro-Israel group Stand With Us. They will run in the same 18 stations from Sept. 26 to Oct. 23, the authority has said. An MTA spokesman declined to comment Tuesday.

Last year, during the debate over plans to build a mosque and cultural center about two blocks from Ground Zero, Geller's group ran controversial bus ads depicting a plane flying toward the burning towers.

"Why there?," asked the ad, which also displayed the star and crescent moon – symbols of Islam – on a nearby building.

In another campaign, the group paid for bus advertisements that read, "Fatwa on your head? Is your community or family threatening you? Leaving Islam?" The ad directed Muslims to a Web site urging them to leave the "falsity of Islam."

Ibrahim Hooper, communications director for the Council on American-Islamic Relations, agreed Geller has a First Amendment right to broadcast her views.

But, he added, "I don't think this type of over-the-top extremist rhetoric is helpful in seeking a just resolution to the Middle East conflict."

Muslim Brotherhood-tied CAIR calls the truth "over-the-top extremist rhetoric." This from a Hamas front group.

Last week, CBS Outdoor and NYCTA approved an antisemitic ad campaign for ovr 1,000 subways. Freedom lovers and human rights organization, AFDI, submitted  a pro-Israel campaign to counter to Jew hatred and historical revision. CBS and the NYC transit have not approved our ad preferring to hide under their desks.

To: CBS Outdoor

Howard,

It's been two days and no word from CBS/NYCTA on our pro-Israel ads. You told me it usually takes no more than an hour for ad approval. We are now on day two. CBS signed off on anti-Israel, anti-semitic ads. Why the stall on pro-Israel ads? It's disgusting.

Yours in liberty,
Pamela Geller

We are still awaiting approval for our counter jihad counter ad from CBS Outdoor and the NYC Transit Authoritywho have approved an antisemitic ad campaign for NY subways.

If we are denied, we will use. Watch Atlas for updates.

Caroline Glick writes:

As I expected, Pamela Geller is all over the anti-Israel NY subway ad campaign I discussed yesterday.

She submitted the ad above to CBS Outdoor/NY Transit to run on NY subway cars.

Go to Atlas Shrugs to help her finance this effort. In the event that the ad is rejected, she will sue and you are invited to join her.

Atlas readers are well aware of the antisemitic ad campaign bouncing from city to city. We successfully fought back against racism and judeophobia in Seattle. But the anti-Israel ads have run in San Francisco and DC, while our pro-Israel ads have been rejected.

The Jew-hating ads are scheduled to run later on this month on at least 1,000 subway cars (minimum buy $20,000 – $36,000); who is funding the racist haters?

The ad calls for cutting off support for the Jewish state. Ivar over at News that Matters points out: [edited a bit]

Does Turkey occupy Northern Cyprus? Turkey also slaughters their own Kurdish population in Eastern Turkey.

What about ending military aid to United Kingdom? The UK still occupies a part of the Irish island. Argentina also claim that the UK occupy the Falkland Island.

What about demanding an end to US military aid to Saudi Arabia? The Saudis rule a Middle Age styled kingdom, that cuts the hands of theives, cripples and kills people under the sharia.

Since Israel is surrounded by hostile Muslim nations, why should the US throw the only free and democratic nation in the Middle East to the dogs?

If the Arab Spring was about freedom and democracy, should not nations like Egypt now say “look to Israel?”

Should not Arabs from Tripoli to Baghdad send deletions to Israel, to learn how five million Jews and two million Israeli Arabs manages to build a peaceful and prosperous nation?

Shame on all who target Israel.

I have submitted our pro-Israel ad. I am waiting for ad approval as we speak. Please contribute to Atlas to fund these ads. Paypal funds to writeatlas@aol.com

If they refuse my ad, we will sue. Immediately.

NY subway ads calling for ending US aid to Israel? Caroline Glick

According to JTA (hat tip Arve in Norway) this ad is set to be posted in 18 NY subway stations in Manhattan, Queens, the Bronx and Brooklyn starting later this month. Seems to me that New Yorkers who support Israel should be able to speak to the City of New York, the Metropolitan Transit Authority and the New York Transit Authority who all have a hand in running the New York subway and have the campaign cancelled. My friend, the indefatigable Pamela Geller at Atlas Shrugs was able to get similar anti-Israel campaigns blocked in places like Seattle and has shown that cancelling anti-Israel propaganda campaigns is eminently doable. 

Happy hunting!

UPDATE: Here's an email I received from Morris Massel with information on how to cancel the ad campaign:

An anti-Israel group, www.twopeoplesonefuture.org, has just placed the attached ad calling for the end of aid to Israel in 18 subways stations in NYC.  They claim to target Israel only because "Israel is the strong party, Israel is the Occupying Power and Israel is the only party that can actually end the Occupation and pave the way for a just peace."  IT IS NOT ABOUT PEACE.  IT IS ANOTHER THINLY VEILED ATTACK ON ISRAEL.  For example, certain of the sponsors of this ad campaign actively support Israel boycotts and general Arab solidarity.  This is not about promoting peace; it is about attacking Israel.

How can you help?  

1. The ad placement is handled by CBS Outdoor.  Please send an email toemmanuela.chanoine@cbsoutdoor.com to register your concern about this ad campaign.

2. Email the Mayor.  http://www.nyc.gov/portal/site/nycgov/menuitem.bd08ee7c7c1ffec87c4b36d501c789a0/index.jsp?doc_name=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nyc.gov%2Fhtml%2Fmail%2Fhtml%2Fmayor.html

3.  Call the MTA at 212-878-7000 and, in response to the prompts, press 1, 3, * and then either 2 for the press office and/or 4 for corporate affairs.  Leave a message.  You can also email them at http://mta-nyc.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/mta_nyc.cfg/php/enduser/ask.php

4. GET THE WORD OUT.  Forward this email to your friends and family.  If we do not act to protect Israel, no one will.

For your ease, a draft email is below:

I have just learned of the anti-Israel ad campaign that has been launched in 18 NYC subway stations by twopeoplesonefuture.org. I am contacting you to express my strong disapproval with this ad campaign.  The campaign is supported by the anti-Israel lobby, whose agenda is not peace but the destruction of the State of Israel.  Second, it unfairly penalizes Israel for defending itself.  New York City should not allow these types of ads to be run in our Transit System