An Israeli television ad has raised blood pressure in government halls in Tehran and in Samsung headquarters in South Korea. The ad portrays a Mossad agent in Iran whose tablet computer is the trigger for a nuclear explosion.
The ad, for the cable TV series “Asfur,” features four characters from the show talking to a Mossad agent with a nuclear plant in the background. While playing with an app on the agent’s tablet, one of them triggers an explosion visible on the horizon.
Last week CNN reported that Iran had threatened to boycott Samsung over the use of its tablet in the commercial. The technological giant released a statement dissociating itself from the commercial, saying, “This advertisement was produced by HOT cable network without Samsung’s knowledge or participation.”
Iran’s nuclear program is being carefully monitored by the international community, with the United States, European Union and others putting in place economic sanctions against Tehran.
Israel and Iran are both rumored to be considering military action. According to various reports, Iran is preparing to close the Strait of Hormuz, while Israel is planning an army strike against Iranian targets.
Get The Times of Israel's Daily Edition
by email and never miss our top stories
By signing up, you agree to the
terms
We can't do this work alone.
The war with Iran has been draining for all of us in Israel. But when I heard about a high casualty incident – ballistic missile impacts in Arad and Dimona that left nearly 200 people wounded – I drank a cup of coffee, packed a bag, and headed south.
There, I spoke with Shilgit, the head of an after-school program for underprivileged youth. Standing outside her destroyed center, Shilgit said it was a miracle that no children were hurt and spoke about the community coming together in the hours since.
As a Times of Israel reporter, I’m committed to telling stories of resilience like Shilgit’s. But my colleagues and I can't do this alone. If you value work like this, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. Your financial support is essential to keep real human reporting like this going.
— Stav Levaton, military reporter
Yes, I'll join
Yes, I'll join
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
You're a dedicated reader
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Join Our Community
Join Our Community
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
