Thousands Rally in Tel Aviv Against Netanyahu Government Three Days Before Election, Demanding Independent Inquiry
Just three days before Israel's general election, thousands of people protested in Tel Aviv against the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. At the centre of the rally was the demand for an independent inquiry into the security failures that preceded the October 7, 2023 attacks.
Demonstrators gathered on Saturday at the public plaza known as Hostages Square in Tel Aviv. This is Israel's first general election since the war on Gaza began, and the rally was held right before it.
The protest was organised by the October Council, a group founded by the families of captives taken to Gaza three years ago. Its aim is to ensure accountability for the government's failure to prevent the Hamas attack that preceded the war.
Ahead of the rally, the October Council wrote on X that three days before the election it would hold the culminating event of three years of struggle to uncover the truth, demand accountability and establish a state commission of inquiry.
Elsewhere in Israel, protesters were also gathering for antigovernment demonstrations, the Haaretz newspaper reported. The protest was not confined to Tel Aviv alone.
Leading figures from opposition parties also took part in the rally, including Gadi Eisenkot of the Yashar party, who is known as Prime Minister Netanyahu's main centre-right rival.
In Tel Aviv, Eisenkot was greeted by chants of 'Who's coming? The next prime minister', according to The Times of Israel. The leader of the Democrats, Yair Golan, was also at the rally.
Polls ahead of Tuesday's election suggest a tight race. Netanyahu's right-wing bloc, in power since late 2022, is neck and neck with Eisenkot's camp, and neither bloc is currently projected to obtain a majority of seats in parliament.
The election could also be pivotal in determining whether Israel launches another round of strikes on Iran. Eisenkot is believed to be less inclined to resume military action against Tehran if he becomes prime minister.
However, on most other foreign policy issues, leading Israeli parties and politicians remain united, including in their opposition to the creation of an independent Palestinian state.
Ahead of the protest, the October Council alerted law enforcement to possible provocations from pro-government agitators. It wrote on X that it had sent an urgent letter to the Police Commissioner following alerts about attempts by entities linked to the coalition to disrupt the rally.
The October Council aims to hold Israeli officials deemed responsible for the October 7 attacks to account and deliver justice for affected families.
Netanyahu's coalition government, however, has refused demands to establish an independent commission of inquiry. Instead it has offered a 'political' commission, half of whose members would be appointed by the government and the remainder by opposition legislators. Opposition leaders have said they would boycott a commission appointed by politicians, so the dispute remained unresolved on the eve of the vote.
