Seattle Bus Ads Allege Israeli War Crimes

Jewish groups fear bus-ad backlash

By Keith Ervin
Seattle Times staff reporter
December 23, 2010

Leaders of four Jewish organizations asked senior King County officials Wednesday to reconsider plans to put an ad on Metro buses alleging "Israeli war crimes," saying local Jews have good reason to fear it could lead to crimes against them.

During the "open and candid and respectful conversation," the Jewish leaders said they feel the ads "are inappropriate here in this community and actually pose a public-safety threat," said Hilary Bernstein, Pacific Northwest community director of the Anti-Defamation League.

Rob Jacobs, Northwest regional director of StandWithUs, said the executives of the Jewish organizations described how synagogues and schools have upgraded security in recent years after their buildings were defaced, a man frightened students as he screamed "Heil Hitler!" on the Seattle Hebrew Academy campus and another man shot six women, one fatally, at the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle.