MTA lawyers are telling a judge who ordered the authority to display an ad displaying the phrase "Hamas Killing Jews" on city buses that it will vote on a plan to ban all political advertisements.
The authority's letter was sent to Judge John Koeltl on Friday. The judge had ordered the MTA to accept a pro-Israel advocacy group's political advertisement containing the phrase because it is protected speech.
MTA lawyer Peter Sistrom says the agency has long considered revising its advertising policy. He says the planned vote was not a hasty reaction to Koeltl's ruling.
The American Freedom Defense Initiative had sued so the ad could be displayed. The ad shows a covered face is shown next to the quote, "Killing Jews is Worship that draws us close to Allah." The quote is attributed to "Hamas MTV" and is followed by the words: "That's his Jihad. What's yours?"
Its lawyer David Yerushalmi says the ban is "poorly conceived." He says the MTA cannot wish away a constitutional violation.
