AFP PODCAST
Marty Roth, a 79-year-old youthful Canadian Jew, explains his organization’s role in the successful drive to counter Jewish near-complete control of the Canadian mainstream media, by placing the iconic “Disappearing Palestine” ads on a Canadian train station and 15 buses.
Marty, a member of a coalition of pro-Palestinian groups concerned with the rapid, relentless and illegal encroachment by Israel against the indigenous Palestinians, discusses the successful campaign and its fighting off of an attempt by pro-Israel Canadian Jews to scuttle their plans to display the images, in this insightful interview (11:37).
Dave Gahary, a former submariner in the U.S. Navy, is the host of AFP’s ‘Underground Interview’ series.
Be sure to check out all of AFP’s free podcasts. You’ll find them on the HOME PAGE, ARCHIVES & PODCAST section.
Canadian Coalition Victorious in Displaying ‘Disappearing Palestine’ Ads on Buses
• Ads displaying diminished Palestinian territory set to run in other Canadian cities
By Dave Gahary
Following the cue of their neighbor to the south, a coalition of pro-Palestinian groups concerned with the rapid, relentless and illegal encroachment by Israel against the indigenous Palestinians, have successfully fought off an attempt by pro-Israel Canadian Jews to scuttle their plans to display the iconic images of “DISAPPEARING PALESTINE” on a train station and buses. The ads are on display in Vancouver, British Columbia on one SkyTrain station and 15 city buses.
A group called Palestine Awareness Coalition purchased the ads from the mass transit entity in Vancouver known as TransLink, who announced they will not pull the ads launched by the coalition, after threats of legal action and the usual screeching and wailing by those organized Jews who feel they are constantly being persecuted by the truth.
The Palestine Awareness Coalition consists of seven pro-Palestinian groups:
Building Bridges Vancouver, Canada Palestine Support Network, Boycott Israeli Apartheid Campaign, Seriously Free Speech Committee, Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights, Canadian Friends of Sabeel, and Independent Jewish Voices Canada.
To gain further insight into this ad campaign, AMERICAN FREE PRESS conducted an exclusive interview with Marty Roth, Professor Emeritus, University of Minnesota, and a member of Independent Jewish Voices Canada, one of the seven in the coalition.
Mr. Roth, a 79-year-old youthful Canadian Jew, was active in the campaign, and explained his organization’s part in the successful drive to counter Jewish near-complete control of the Canadian mainstream media.
“Independent Jewish Voices… [is] concerned with many issues,” said Mr. Roth, “but among them is the awful and deteriorating situation in the Middle East. Our primary purpose is to make it very clear to the Canadian public that the Jewish community does not speak with one voice. Not all Jews approve of the behavior of Israel in respect to the Palestinians who live in the occupied territories.”
AFP asked why he felt TransLink didn’t cave to the Jewish pressure groups, which have a stellar track record in stifling open and honest discussion of Israel’s horrendous human rights record.
“We fall within every one of the guidelines laid down by the Advertising Council of Canada and by the Canadian Charter,” he explained.
Mr. Roth detailed the battle his group faced and continues to face.
“The response has been, in my opinion, hysterical and venomous,” he began. “We have been accused of hate speech, we have been accused of putting up attack ads, we have been accused of wanting to wipe Israel off the face of the Earth, and of endangering the security of the Vancouver Jewish population. I mean it’s simply unbelievable.”
The irony of Jews claiming to be a target of removal of the entire Zionist state is laughable, because the ad clearly shows Palestine being wiped off the face of the map. AFP suggested that Jews shouldn’t put themselves in the position that even the slightest bit of legitimate criticism would endanger their lives. Mr. Roth agreed.
“Mainstream Jewish resistance is fierce, in Canada the United States in France in Great Britain in most of the Western countries; in South Africa,” he explained. “Fierce in opposition to any voice that is critical of the way the Israelis treat the Palestinians.”
AFP asked if he was comfortable with the veracity of what’s displayed on that map.
“The ads are based on UN documents,” he said. “We stand behind the actuality of the graphics and of course the statement is simply a statement issued by the UN and it’s very easily documentable.”
An ad campaign such as this is key to educating people of Israel’s true nature that the mainstream media in the U.S. and Canada does not freely bring to the public. This campaign is so important because it could change, literally in one day, thousands of minds, just by displaying this one little bit of information. It is for this reason that organized Jewry relentlessly fights efforts to educate the world’s populace to the plight of the Palestinians.
Canadian author and journalist Greg Felton, who has seen and photographed the ad on one of the buses, feels this type of campaign was bound to happen.
“This is symptomatic of the increasing acceptance of public displays of support for Palestine, now that the Internet has opened the world’s eyes to the true horrors of Jewish fascism, and the crimes of Israel are no longer deniable,” said Mr. Felton.
Mr. Roth explained that “the ads will run for four weeks,” and “our first run cost us $15,000.” “We are still fundraising,” he explained, “and we hope to extend the life of the ads if we raise enough money.”
AFP asked how they raised the money for the four weeks of ads.
“We were lucky to have the support of the major donor,” he explained.
The donor wishes to remain anonymous, he added when asked by AFP who he was.
Significantly, Mr. Roth added, “Canadians for Peace and Justice in the Middle East who are centered in Ottawa…are planning to have a similar ad campaign in both Toronto and Calgary.”
