*This post has been updated.

On Monday, a group of local Jewish leaders* met with King County Executive Dow Constantine to demand he repeal his temporary ban on bus ads critical of Israel (more on that here). Constantine refused.

So Howard Gale, representing the 46 Jews who signed a letter denouncing Constantine's ban, released this statement today: "The King County Executive has confirmed that fear generated by unspecified threats was the central factor in his decision to prevent the contracted bus ads from being displayed."

But Constantine's office refutes this charge: "It’s always been the potential disruption to service," says Christine Lange, a spokeswoman for Constantine. Lange says the plan is still for Constantine to submit a revised bus ad policy to the King County Council as soon as possible. (Constantine has set his goal for the end of January but Lange couldn't confirm that this was still the target, saying only, "We'll work as long as it takes to get it right.")

Lange also confirmed that Constantine's office has been in touch with the ACLU to ensure that any new policy doesn't infringe free speech rights.

In other words, nothing's changed, folks. Stay tuned!

*Sweet baby Christ on a soapbox, you guys. Really? I can't call a group of Jews—at least a few of them prominent social justice activists—who engage in political discourse with Constantine Jewish leaders?