A series of fake advertisements that appeared on the UK capital’s metro system, known as the London Underground, has marked the latest form of British public expression condemning Israel’s actions in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.
The posters, spotted on the Victoria Line, were designed to mimic genuine adverts from the Tel Aviv-based company Monday.com, accusing Israel of genocide, ethnic cleansing, and cultural erasure.
The adverts — which closely imitated Monday.com’s branding — included the tagline: “Monday.com – for whatever you run. Even… an apartheid state”.
Listed beneath were references to “Genocide”, “Ethnic Cleansing”, and “Cultural Erasure”, each marked with project statuses such as “Needs attention”, “On track”, and “At risk.”
The campaign is part of a wider trend of culture jamming that has emerged across the UK and other Western countries since the outbreak of the Gaza war in October 2023.
Activists have increasingly used this tactic to subvert corporate advertisements and public messaging, drawing attention to what they describe as Israel’s war crimes and Western complicity.
The fake Monday.com posters, which condemned Israel’s actions in Gaza, have rattled pro-Israel groups. This includes UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI) — a group that has faced criticism for its aggressive legal tactics, which opponents argue are designed to silence pro-Palestinian activism and suppress criticism of Israel.
The group has announced plans to pursue legal action against the activists involved, condemning the stunt as “vandalism” on public spaces.
Yet, pro-Israel campaigners had previously carried out a similar unauthorised stunt on London’s Underground without facing comparable backlash.
On the anniversary of the 7 October attack, a small group of pro-Israel activists plastered Tube stations with provocative posters depicting a mock Gaza metro map featuring alleged Hamas tunnels labeled “Hostage Execution Tunnel” and “Hamas Rape Tunnel”.
The posters referenced widely discredited claims made by Israel, which alleged Hamas fighters had committed mass sexual violence on 7 October. A recent UN investigation found no evidence to conclude that rape had occurred during the attack, concluding that the mission could not verify reported incidents of rape.
Israel’s war on Gaza has killed over 61,700 people, most of whom were women and children. The country now faces accusations of war crimes and genocide at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
Additionally, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant are the subjects of arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for their roles in the devastating Gaza onslaught and besiegement.
