Netanyahu party campaign billboard likens Mamdani to leaders of Iran and Hezbollah

Netanyahu Billboard Likens Mamdani to Iran, Hezbollah

Wanderstayfinder.com – The Netanyahu party campaign billboard likens New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani to the leaders of Iran and Hezbollah, placing him in the same visual frame as Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Iran’s supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei, and Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem. The poster, erected in central Tel Aviv and bearing the Likud party logo, carries the message: “They want Netanyahu to lose … Don’t let them win.” Netanyahu shared a photograph of the billboard on his social media accounts on Sunday, pairing it with a video clip of Mamdani’s earlier remarks calling the Israeli prime minister a “war criminal.”

The Netanyahu party campaign billboard likens Mamdani to figures Netanyahu views as existential threats, a rhetorical move that underscores how personal the feud between the two leaders has become. The Israeli prime minister entered full campaign mode after the Knesset was dissolved in July, ahead of October elections — the first since the Hamas-led attacks of 7 October 2023. His far-right coalition is trailing in opinion polls, and the billboard represents an attempt to frame domestic and international critics as part of a unified opposition bloc.

From War-Criminal Accusations to Election Posters

Mamdani has been a vocal critic of Israel’s war in Gaza since the start of his mayoral campaign. The tension escalated last month when the New York mayor called Netanyahu a “war criminal” who “belonged in The Hague” and urged US authorities to enforce the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant should Netanyahu attend the UN General Assembly in September. Netanyahu responded by accusing Mamdani of “fomenting hate” and pitting religious communities against one another in New York. He also warned that the once-bipartisan American support for Israel was at risk because of progressive Democrats aligned with Mamdani. Recent US polling, however, suggests Mamdani enjoys greater popularity among American Jews than Netanyahu himself.

The billboard is the latest escalation in a feud that has drawn international attention. Netanyahu, whose ruling coalition faces an uncertain electoral future, has used the campaign period to cast critics as agents of hostile states. The visual rhetoric of the Netanyahu party campaign billboard likens Mamdani not merely to a political opponent but to leaders of countries and militant organizations that Israel regards as adversaries.

Broader Context: Gaza Ceasefire Stalls and UK Remarks

The timing of the billboard coincides with stalled US-Israeli negotiations over a Gaza ceasefire deal. Jared Kushner, Donald Trump’s son-in-law and envoy, held a three-hour meeting with Netanyahu on Monday but reported no breakthrough; Israel continues to refuse troop withdrawal from the Gaza Strip until Hamas agrees to disarm first. Separately, Netanyahu described the United Kingdom as “the Islamic republic of Britain” during a podcast interview for Israel’s army radio this week, adding that it was the “first Islamic republic to get a nuclear weapon.” Those remarks played into a common far-right Islamophobic trope about Britain’s Muslim population and further complicated the diplomatic landscape in which the campaign billboard was deployed.

Mamdani has yet to respond publicly to his inclusion in the Netanyahu party campaign billboard likens materials. His office has not issued a statement as of the latest reporting, leaving the New York mayor’s reaction to the comparison with Iran’s supreme leader and Hezbollah’s chief still unknown.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is the billboard located? The poster is displayed in central Tel Aviv and carries the Likud party logo alongside images of Mamdani, Erdoğan, Khamenei, and Qassem.

When were the Israeli elections called? The Knesset was dissolved in July 2026, with elections scheduled for October 2026 — the first since the Hamas-led attacks of 7 October 2023.

What did Mamdani say about Netanyahu? The New York