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Likud Billboard Displays NYC Mayor With Israel's Foes

Is Netanyahu's Mamdani billboard a desperate smear by a struggling leader or a fair reflection?
Likud Billboard Displays NYC Mayor With Israel's Foes
Above: A billboard depicting New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani alongside Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem on Aug. 16, 2026. Image credit: Benjamin Netanyahu via X

The Spin


Narrative A

Mamdani called Netanyahu a war criminal and promised to arrest him, then quietly admitted New York City has zero legal authority to do any such thing — a performative stunt that backfired embarrassingly. Netanyahu putting Mamdani on a billboard alongside Iran's supreme leader and Hezbollah's chief is a fair reflection of the political company Mamdani keeps ideologically. Condemning Israel while staying silent on Hamas massacres is partisan theater.

Narrative B

Netanyahu plastering Mamdani on a Likud billboard next to Iran's supreme leader and Hezbollah's chief is a desperate political stunt from a leader trailing in the polls. Calling someone a war criminal and getting slapped on a campaign poster for it only proves the point — Netanyahu needs enemies more than he needs a platform. Polling shows Mamdani is more popular among American Jews than Netanyahu, which tells you everything about who's actually losing ground.


Metaculus Prediction



The Controversies



Go Deeper

© 2026 Improve the News Foundation. All rights reserved.Version 7.4.1

© 2026 Improve the News Foundation.

All rights reserved.

Version 7.4.1