Netanyahu Campaign Billboard Compares Zohran Mamdani to Mojtaba Khamenei

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has sparked controversy after a campaign billboard funded by his Likud Party compared New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani to Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of Iran's Supreme Leader.

The billboard, displayed in central Tel Aviv, features images of Mamdani alongside Mojtaba Khamenei, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and Naim Qassem, a senior Hezbollah leader. Above the images appears the message: "They want Bibi to lose," referring to Netanyahu by his nickname. A second slogan in Hebrew urges voters: "Don't let them win."

Netanyahu later shared a photograph of the billboard on social media as he prepares for a closely contested re-election campaign scheduled for October.

Recent opinion polls show Netanyahu's Likud Party trailing the centrist Yashar Party. His government has faced mounting criticism over its handling of regional conflicts, security failures that preceded Hamas' Oct. 7 attack, and the prime minister's ongoing corruption trial.

Relations between Netanyahu and Mamdani, New York City's first Muslim mayor, have become increasingly strained. Mamdani has publicly described Netanyahu as a "war criminal."

In July, Mamdani said he was exploring legal options to have Netanyahu arrested if he visited New York, citing the arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) over alleged war crimes in Gaza. He also pledged to support enforcement of the ICC warrant.

However, Mamdani later acknowledged that the New York City government lacks the legal authority to arrest a foreign head of government. Instead, he called on the U.S. federal government to take appropriate action.

Following those remarks, U.S. President Donald Trump assured his ally Netanyahu that he would not face arrest if he traveled to attend the United Nations General Assembly.

In response, Israel's Ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, accused Mamdani of antisemitism and supporting Hamas. Netanyahu also claimed that Mamdani's rhetoric was "inciting hatred."

Mamdani has been a vocal critic of Israel's military campaign in Gaza, describing it as genocide and strongly opposing continued U.S. military and financial support for Israel. However, he has not expressed support for Hamas.

Public support for Israel in the United States has declined during the Gaza war, contributing to growing divisions over U.S. policy toward Israel and weakening the long-standing bipartisan consensus that has traditionally backed the country.