An advertisement featuring anti-Semitic imagery bearing the UNICEF logo was placed by an NGO that enjoys the United Nations agency's support.

The advertisement was placed by a Palestinian Authority youth organization, PYALARA (Palestinian Youth Association for Leadership and Rights Activation), which is funded by UNICEF,  the United Nations Children's Fund. The ad is for a PA television show produced by PYALARA.

According to Palestinian Media Watch's Itamar Marcus and Nan Jacques Zilberdik, the advertisement is “another example of the misuse of UN funding.”

The ad shows an axe destroying a Star of David. The large Star of David that has been destroyed is decorated with stars and stripes, presumably representing the USA, and an additional smaller Star of David - a common theme in anti-Semitic cartoons that imply Jewish control of the US. .

'Chosen by UNICEF'
PYALARA has been funded by UNICEF since the year 2000 and its website says: "PYALARA has been chosen by UNICEF as a major strategic partner in Palestine." 

On the axe that destroys the Star of David (see image at right) is the word "Boycott!" in the imperative tense. Youth are invited to watch the PA TV program calling for a boycott of Israel. 

The program's host acknowledges that the boycott is illegal but says a decision was made to ignore this: "We know that the Palestinian Authority is tied to a number of agreements that prohibit it from completely boycotting Israel... we call upon all the youth, to all the residents, to all businesses and stores, to completely boycott the Israeli goods in their stores."

The program opened with the following text: "The program Speak Up has decided to dedicate this program to a theme which is a national obligation upon each of us - the topic of boycotting Israel in all ways." [PA TV March 21, 2010].
 
The ad explained that the weekly youth program Speak Up is "produced in cooperation with PBC (PA TV) with the support of UNICEF." An average of 300,000 Palestinian children and teenagers watch every episode of Speak Up, according to the PYALARA website.