As Israel enters a new campaign cycle following the dissolution of the Knesset, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party has unveiled a controversial billboard in central Tel Aviv. The advertisement displays a photograph of Zohran Mamdani, a New York City politician, positioned next to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, and Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem. The text on the billboard reads, “They want Netanyahu to lose… Don’t let them win,” accompanied by the official Likud party logo.

The billboard serves as a campaign tactic intended to rally support for Netanyahu’s right-wing coalition. By grouping a local American politician with figures widely considered adversaries of the Israeli state, the party is attempting to frame the upcoming election as a choice between Netanyahu and a coalition of international figures who oppose his governance. While the campaign strategy is clear, the inclusion of a New York City official in a national Israeli election advertisement is an unusual move that highlights the party's focus on framing the election through the lens of international security and opposition to current Israeli leadership. The Likud party has not yet issued a formal statement explaining the specific criteria used to select these individuals for the campaign materials.