JERUSALEM (VINnews) — Israel’s Likud party has stepped up its election messaging with a striking new billboard portraying New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani alongside Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem.

The billboard, unveiled ahead of Israel’s election campaign, features images of the four men alongside a message warning Likud supporters that Netanyahu’s opponents want him to lose. The message urges voters not to allow that outcome.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shared an image of the billboard on social media, adding his own brief appeal to supporters: “Don’t let them win.”

אל תתנו להם לנצח pic.twitter.com/JgvJXAPtia

— Benjamin Netanyahu – בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) August 16, 2026

The billboard has generated attention because of the unusual grouping of Mamdani, a New York politician, with leaders associated with Iran, Turkey and Hezbollah.

The Jerusalem Post reported that although some social media posts claimed the billboard was in Jerusalem, it appeared to be located in Tel Aviv overlooking the Ayalon Highway.

Political opponents respond

The billboard quickly became a target for Netanyahu’s political rivals, who produced their own versions mocking the Likud campaign.

The Yashar party, headed by former IDF chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot, altered the message to accuse Netanyahu of allowing the IDF to weaken and argued that Eisenkot should lead the next government.

Other politicians used the billboard to highlight controversies surrounding Netanyahu and his government.

Knesset member Naama Lazimi circulated another altered version featuring figures connected to the Qatargate investigation, including Qatar’s prime minister, Netanyahu adviser Yonatan Urich and former Netanyahu advisers Eli Feldstein and Srulik Einhorn.

Her version reversed the original slogan to suggest that Netanyahu’s political allies, rather than his opponents, were the ones seeking his victory.

Election campaign heats up

The competing billboards come as Israeli parties prepare for an increasingly aggressive election campaign, with politicians seeking to define Netanyahu and his opponents through powerful images and controversial associations.

Polling cited by the Jerusalem Post showed Eisenkot’s Yashar party leading with a projected 24 Knesset seats, followed by Likud with 22 and Naftali Bennett’s B’Yachad with 15.

The billboard campaign reflects the broader battle over Netanyahu’s political future, with Likud presenting the election as a choice between Netanyahu and forces it portrays as hostile to his leadership, while opposition parties are attempting to turn the same imagery against the prime minister.