A pro-Israel advocacy group known for publicly criticizing Islam can display its political advertisement containing the phrase “Hamas Killing Jews” on New York City’s buses, a judge says.
Judge John Koeltl says in a decision made public Tuesday that the advertisement is protected speech.
He says he is sensitive to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s claim that the ad could incite violence and understands the efforts necessary to prevent violent attacks.
But he notes that substantially the same advertisement ran in San Francisco and Chicago in 2013 without incident. He adds that examples of violent attacks cited by the MTA show that individuals may commit heinous acts without warning.
Koeltl stays the effect of the ruling, dated Monday, for a month so it can be appealed.
MTA spokesman Adam Lisberg says the agency is disappointed in the ruling and is reviewing its options.
It comes in a lawsuit filed last year by the American Freedom Defense Initiative, an organization headed by blogger Pamela Geller that’s behind the advertisement.
—AP
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