This Sunday, the Israeli government ran three ads that called for support for hostages held by Hamas during the most watched television event of the year, amidst growing national criticism of Israel’s bombing campaign in Palestine which has lasted two days and killed more than 100 people.
The 30-second ads ran during the game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs, which was streamed on Paramount+ by approximately 115 million Americans last Sunday.
The first was called Bring All Dads Back Home, and portrayed dads throwing the ball with their kids before shifting to images of Israeli hostages. The second was titled “136 Seats Are Still Available for Sunday’s Game” and showed empty seats in a stadium, representing the 136 Israeli hostages still believed to be held by Hamas. The last was titled “In a roaring stadium, their silence is deafening,” also showing a football stadium filled with fans with some seats empty.
The ads have been both celebrated and criticized by viewers. While pro-Israel supporters say the ads are a welcome first, many groups groups who oppose Israel’s bombardment of Palestine say that the ads support genocide.
The Israeli Prime Minister’s National Public Diplomacy Directorate, which acts as a press office for the Israeli government, bought the Super Bowl ad space through Paramount. Israel likely paid about $7 million for a 30-second space, according to pricing reported by Vivvix Ad Intelligence.
Here’s what we know about the ads and why they matter to American politics:
Why would Israel do this and what do they want?
Political science scholar Robert Boatright, who teaches at Clark University, says the ad campaign demonstrates Israel’s awareness that it needs American support for its war effort. US public support for Israel has waned continuously as the death toll surges.
The number of Americans who say Israel has gone “too far” was up 40% in January compared to November 2023, according to data from…
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