World Leaders Teach ‘Unhate’ by Kissing Each Other on the Lips

Nov 17, 2011

President Obama planting a kiss on Chinese President Hu Jintao’s lips?! Or even better, what about Obama kissing Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez on the lips?

That’s exactly what Italian clothing company United Colors of Benetton imagined will get people to consider to "Unhate."

The digitally manipulated images show rivaling world leaders kissing on the lips in an effort promote a culture of tolerance and combat hatred around the world. In another shot, German Chancellor Angela Merkel smooches French President Nicolas Sarkozy, her nation’s economic rival.

"Unhate is a message that invites us to consider that hate and love are not as far away from each other as we think," the campaign’s website said. "Actually, the two opposing sentiments are often in a delicate and unstable balance. Our campaign promotes a shift in the balance: don’t hate, Unhate."

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Il and South Korean President Lee Myung Bak lock lips.

U.S. President Barack Obama and China’s President Hu Jintao smooch.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

Other world figures include Pope Benedict XVI and Dr. Ahmed al Tayyeb, the grand sheikh of Cairo’s Al Azhar Mosque. This image was pulled from the campaign after a complaint by the Vatican.

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