A South African standards committee has ruled that a Jews for Jesus billboard is “offensive” to Orthodox Jews.
The Advertising Standards Authority on Friday ruled against Jews for Jesus and in favor of the Union of Orthodox Synagogues over the advertisement, which states that “10 out of 10 Jewish doctors recommend Jesus,” the Sydney Times reported.
The ad, part of a Jews for Jesus series of billboards, appeared in a Johannesburg suburb with a large Jewish population.
An individual’s complaint last December was dismissed by the standards authority, but the panel revisited the issue when the Union of Orthodox Synagogues became involved after receiving more than a dozen complaints.
The standards committee rejected an appeal of last week’s ruling by Jews for Jesus, saying it was “indisputable that the advertisement attacks, or is aimed at, the central tenet of the Jewish faith … that Jesus is not the Messiah.”
Jews for Jesus said the ads were meant to stimulate debate and not offend.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
