Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will speak before the UN General Assembly in New York this evening at 9 p.m. Israeli time. Parallel to his appearance, Israel has launched a large-scale information campaign in the heart of Manhattan, posing a clear question:
“Whose side are you on – the side of Israel and the USA, or the side of Iran and Hamas?”
The campaign, initiated by the National Public Diplomacy Directorate in the Prime Minister’s Office, runs from September 23 to 25 and focuses particularly on the area around UN headquarters. More than 500 billboard spaces in New York have been booked for this purpose. In addition, specially rented trucks with digital screens are driving through Manhattan during the UN General Assembly, along with an extensive digital campaign.
Video: National Public Diplomacy Directorate
Israeli messages are also visible on Times Square and along key streets and avenues of Manhattan. At the center is the threat that, in Israel’s view, the Iranian regime poses to the free world, as well as the strategic cooperation between Israel and the United States in the fight against Iran and its allies.
One of the central messages reads: “Freedom doesn’t defend itself.” The campaign thereby references the long-standing strategic cooperation between Israel and the United States, and highlights in particular the threat posed by the ayatollahs’ regime in Tehran.
Another part of the campaign addresses the Iranian nuclear threat and is directed squarely at the United Nations. It plays on the abbreviation “UN,” using terms such as “UNsafe” and “UNacceptable.”
One further message is particularly targeted at members of the Iranian delegation at the UN General Assembly. Around the hotel where members of the delegation are staying, attention is drawn to the contrast between the economic hardship faced by many Iranian citizens and the privileged lives of the regime’s representatives.
The anti-Israeli demonstrations expected during the UN General Assembly are also addressed. Under the headline “Choose a Side,” the campaign juxtaposes Israel and the United States, portrayed as standing for freedom and life, against Iran, Hamas, and Hezbollah, who are depicted as representatives of terror, death, and tyranny.
The head of the National Public Diplomacy Directorate, Tzipi Hotovely, stated that millions of people could come into contact with the campaign and its messages. Given the incitement and anti-Israeli messages being spread by Israel’s adversaries, the UN General Assembly presents an opportunity to draw attention to what Israel views as hypocrisy and cynicism toward Israel in the corridors of the United Nations.
At the same time, the aim is to highlight the shared message of Israel and the United States in the ongoing fight against Iran and its allies, who, according to Hotovely, threaten the entire free world with their terrorism.
Netanyahu’s stay in New York is meanwhile not limited to his speech before the UN General Assembly. According to the Prime Minister’s Office, numerous diplomatic meetings are scheduled during the visit.
Netanyahu will meet with the presidents of Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay, Panama, and Ethiopia, as well as with the Vice President of Colombia. Meetings with the prime ministers of Greece, Slovenia, and Papua New Guinea are also planned.
According to the Prime Minister’s Office, numerous additional heads of state and government had requested a meeting with Netanyahu. However, due to his tight schedule and the need to return to Israel before the start of the Sukkot holiday, the Prime Minister is only able to accommodate a portion of these requests.
Thus, Netanyahu’s appearance at the United Nations this year is not taking place solely in the General Assembly chamber. While the Israeli Prime Minister addresses his message to the international community, Israel is simultaneously working to convey it to a mass audience on the streets of Manhattan.
