New Israel-focused ad comes to Chapel Hill buses

As Chapel Hill Transit prepares to take down the advertisement that prompted the town to change its bus policy last year, a new ad in opposition to it has just been put up.

The original ad featured two men, one Palestinian and one Israeli, both holding their grandchildren, with a tagline that read, “Join with us. Build peace with justice and equality. End U.S. military aid to Israel.”

That ad, taken out by Chapel Hill’s Church of Reconcilation, is scheduled to be removed from Chapel Hill Transit buses later this week because its one-year contract has expired.

The new ad, which began running on all of the town’s 98 buses this weekend, depicts an Israeli boy and a Palestinian boy embracing. Its tagline reads “Israel Seeks a Partner for Peace.”

It was placed by Triangle-based organization Voice for Israel and national organization Stand With Us. Both organizations describe the new ad as pro-Israel.

Michael Ross, chairman of Voice for Israel, said the ad was a response to the ad taken out by Chapel Hill’s Church of Reconciliation.

The church’s ad advocated for the end to military aid to Israel. It sparked when it was first put on Chapel Hill Transit buses last August.

Ross said his organization decided to place an ad because it was offended by the current one.

Sharon Shohfi, chairwoman of the Church of Reconciliation’s Salaam Shalom committee, said she doesn’t have a problem with the new ad.

“The purpose of our bus ad was to spark dialogue,” she said.

But Shohfi said her church does object to the attitudes of the opponents of the church’s ad.

“They’re calling our ad and what we stand for anti-Israel and that’s a total mischaracterization,” she said.

Getting people to ask questions was the impetus for the Chapel Hill Town Council reviewing its bus advertising policy last December.

The Church of Reconciliation’s ad was from buses shortly after it first appeared last August because it failed to list a contact for the church.

It was placed back when the information was added.

*Protecting perspectives *

Complaints about the ad prompted the town to its bus advertising policy. The town council declared buses a limited. The new policy permits any advertisement, including those expressing political and religious views, on buses as long as it is respectful and includes a disclaimer.

Town council member Lee Storrow said the new advertisement is in line with the town’s advertising policy.

“It’s a respectful ad that articulates a viewpoint,” he said.

Storrow said town and Chapel Hill Transit staff review ads before they go up on buses.

“It’s our job to make sure we are protecting a diverse range of perspectives in terms of speech,” he said.

Despite the differences between the ad her church placed and the latest ad, Shohfi said she’s glad the new ad will keep the discussion going.

“I hope it’ll cause more talk,” she said. “I hope it’ll cause more people to ask questions.”

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