Netanyahu Campaign Ad Depicts Zohran Mamdani Alongside Iranian and Hezbollah Leaders

The Likud party led by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has sparked controversy after releasing a campaign advert that places New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani alongside the leaders of Iran and Hezbollah. The advert appeared ahead of Israel’s general election scheduled for October.

The billboard aired on Israeli national television features a stark black background with the faces of Iran’s new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem, and Mayor Mamdani. The advert carries the caption: “They want Netanyahu to lose. Don’t let them win.”

Netanyahu himself reposted the image on social media with a brief message: “Don’t let them win.”

The provocative move follows a public dispute between Netanyahu and Mamdani. The American politician had previously urged the US federal government to enforce the arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in 2024 over alleged war crimes in Gaza.

Mamdani publicly told The New York Times last month that Netanyahu is a war criminal who should be tried in The Hague. Although the US is not an ICC member, the warrant makes Netanyahu an internationally wanted suspect. Around 124 ICC member states are obliged to arrest him if he enters their territory.

Responding to Mamdani’s remarks, Israel’s Ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, accused the mayor of antisemitism and of supporting Hamas. Netanyahu himself labelled Mamdani’s statements as hate speech.

Amid international pressure, former US President Donald Trump has emerged in defence of Netanyahu. In a post on Truth Social, Trump asserted that Netanyahu would not be arrested in any form while in the United States.

Netanyahu has maintained a close relationship with Trump, even making a historic eighth state visit during Trump’s second term in July, despite reports of tensions over the situation in the Middle East.

The October general election will be the first test of Netanyahu’s leadership since the 7 October attack, after the electoral process had previously been suspended.

For context, the ICC arrest warrant issued in November 2024 accuses Netanyahu of responsibility for war crimes including the use of starvation as a method of warfare and deliberate attacks against the civilian population in Gaza. Netanyahu has strongly denied all the allegations and has described them as antisemitic.