Israel floods Manhattan with anti-Iran ads during UN General Assembly

A series of advertisements focuses on Iran’s nuclear program and directly targets the United Nations, using wordplay including “UNsafe” and “UNacceptable.”

By World Israel News Staff

Israel has launched a massive public diplomacy campaign across Manhattan highlighting the threat posed by Iran and portraying the United States and Israel as partners in the fight against Tehran and its terrorist proxies, ahead of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to the United Nations.

The campaign, organized by Israel’s National Public Diplomacy Directorate in the Prime Minister’s Office, is appearing on more than 500 billboards across New York City, along with mobile digital billboard trucks and an extensive online campaign.

Running from September 23 through 25 during the UN General Assembly, the campaign is concentrated in central Manhattan, particularly around the United Nations headquarters. Large displays have also been placed in Times Square.

One of the campaign’s central messages, “Freedom doesn’t defend itself,” highlights the longstanding strategic partnership between Israel and the United States and presents the two countries as confronting threats to the free world, particularly the Iranian regime.

Another series of advertisements focuses on Iran’s nuclear program and directly targets the United Nations, using wordplay including “UNsafe” and “UNacceptable.”

The campaign is also taking its message directly to members of the Iranian delegation attending the General Assembly. Advertisements have been placed around the hotel where the delegation is staying, contrasting Iran’s economic difficulties with the lifestyle enjoyed by regime officials visiting New York.

A separate portion of the campaign is aimed at demonstrators expected to protest against Israel during the General Assembly.

Under the headline “Choose a side,” the advertisements contrast Israel and the United States, which the campaign associates with “freedom” and “life,” with Iran, Hamas and Hezbollah, which it associates with “terror,” “death” and “tyranny.”

Tzipi Hotovely, head of Israel’s National Public Diplomacy Directorate, said the campaign is expected to reach millions of people during one of the busiest diplomatic weeks of the year.

“Millions of people are expected to be exposed to the campaign and its messages,” Hotovely said.

“Against the backdrop of the incitement and anti-Israel messages promoted by our adversaries, the UN General Assembly is an opportunity to strengthen awareness of the hypocrisy and cynicism prevalent against us in the corridors of the UN, and of the universal message jointly advanced by the US and Israel in the just and ongoing campaign against Iran and its proxies, which threaten the entire free world with terrorism,” she added.

The campaign was launched through Israel’s Government Advertising Agency and comes as world leaders gather in New York for the annual General Assembly.

Netanyahu is scheduled to address the UN on Thursday, where he is expected to focus heavily on Israel’s security challenges and respond to international criticism of the Jewish state.