Netanyahu Uses New York Mayor on Campaign Billboard to Frame Election as Fight Against Enemies

On August 16, 2026 Likud unveiled a massive billboard along Tel Aviv’s Ayalon Highway that places New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani beside Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem. The image is being promoted ahead of the October 27 Knesset election, the first since the Hamas attacks of October 7, 2023.

New York Post

Mamdian, a progressive Democrat, has condemned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over Israel’s war in Gaza and urged U.S. authorities to enforce the ICC arrest warrant if Netanyahu attends the UN General Assembly in September. Netanyahu accused Mamdani of “fomenting hate” and of turning New York’s communities against one another.

NewsweekThe GuardianLikud casts Mamdani alongside Israel’s foes in campaign billboard New York PostNetanyahu’s Campaign Poster Puts Zohran Mamdani Among Israel’s “Enemies” The Jerusalem Post

Netanyahu’s Likud party framed the billboard as a defensive measure, stating:

Newsweek

> “This is the only way to prevent a leftist government of [Gadi] Eisenkot, Yair Golan, [Avigdor] Liberman, and the Arab parties.” – Likud

The Jerusalem Post

Netanyahu warned that Mamdani’s criticism threatens bipartisan U.S. support for Israel, linking the dispute to broader concerns about antisemitism.

Newsweek

Analysts note that Likud is shifting from a “positive” campaign highlighting alliances with world leaders to a “negative” strategy that pits voters against a coalition of perceived enemies. Newsweek argues the billboard makes the election a referendum on whether Israelis will reject figures who “want Netanyahu to lose.” The Guardian adds the move reflects a belief that the coalition opposing Khamenei, Erdogan, Qassem and Mamdani is narrower than the coalition opposing those adversaries.

Newsweek

• Recent Israeli polling shows Likud trailing the newly formed Yashar party, which holds a narrow lead for 61 Knesset seats.

The Jerusalem Post

• The billboard’s slogan blurs the line between disliking foreign adversaries and supporting Netanyahu, a logical leap highlighted by commentators.

Newsweek

• Mamdani has not publicly responded to the billboard.

The Guardian

• Former President Donald Trump said it would be “appropriate” for him to stay out of the Israeli election but left open the possibility of endorsing a candidate. Analysts differ on how much a Trump endorsement would influence voters, with estimates ranging from “minimal” effect to a shift of “three to five” Knesset seats.

The Hill

• The precise impact of the billboard on voter sentiment remains unmeasured; polls capture overall party standings but not specific reactions to the image.

South Florida Sun-Sentinel

• “I think if Trump wants Bibi [Netanyahu] to lose, then this is the way: Push him on Gaza,” — Tal Schneider

The Hill

• “Israel retains its full right of self-defense: If Hamas resorts to terror, violence, or attempts to rearm, Israel will retain the right to act accordingly.” — Nimrod Novik

The Hill

The October 27 election will decide whether Likud can maintain power amid a fragmented opposition and a campaign framed as a stand against foreign adversaries. Observers will watch for any formal Trump endorsement and for Mamdani’s next public comment, both of which could influence the final weeks of the race.

The Jerusalem Post