Oakland County Removes ‘Voices for Palestinians’ Road Signs Near Synagogue
Two ‘Voices for Palestinians’ road signs near a West Bloomfield Township synagogue were pulled after a county executive cited a recent terrorist attack on the property.
WEST BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP, MICHIGAN — A pair of “Voices for Palestinians” Adopt-A-Road signs were temporarily removed from a stretch of road near Temple Israel, a synagogue in West Bloomfield Township, after Oakland County Executive Dave Coulter and community members expressed concerns.
Coulter issued a public statement urging the Road Commission for Oakland County to review the placement of the signs, citing the proximity to the synagogue and a recent attack on the property. The road commission removed the signs on Monday morning following Coulter’s appeal on Sunday.
Attack on Temple Israel Fuels Concerns
The controversy follows an incident where Ayman Ghazali, 41, of Dearborn Heights drove a Ford F-150 into Temple Israel in March. The FBI identified the act as terrorism inspired by Hezbollah, a Shiite Muslim political party and militant group based in Lebanon.
Coulter highlighted that attack as a key concern regarding the sign placement. “The placement of a ‘Voices for Palestinians’ Adopt-A-Road placard in the heart of Oakland County’s Jewish community, near the site of a recent synagogue attack, is deeply troubling and understandably painful for many of our Jewish neighbors,” Coulter said in a statement.
“At a time when members of the Jewish community are already experiencing heightened fear and concern, placing such a message in that location appears to disregard the impact it would have and risks being perceived as an act of provocation,” Coulter added.
Road Commission Acts Independently
The Road Commission for Oakland County operates independently of Coulter’s office. Its Adopt-A-Road program enlists volunteers to collect litter along designated road segments during two of three scheduled annual cleanup periods. In exchange, the commission installs signs at both ends of the assigned stretch to recognize participating volunteer groups.
Coulter urged the road commission to remove the signs and engage with residents affected by the placement to “help restore trust and demonstrate respect for our Jewish neighbors,” according to his statement.
Community Response
The signs had been placed by a group called “Voices for Palestinians.” The Adopt-A-Road program, which operates on a volunteer recognition basis, does not restrict group names or affiliations under its standard guidelines, according to information from the Road Commission for Oakland County.
The road commission’s decision to temporarily remove the signs followed Coulter’s Sunday morning public call to action, according to Michigan Advance. It remains unclear whether the signs will be permanently removed or reinstated following the commission’s review.
