Thousands rally against Netanyahu in Tel Aviv days before Israel election
Photo: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (Getty Images)
Thousands of people took part in an anti-government demonstration in Tel Aviv three days before Israel’s general election. The protesters are demanding accountability for the failure to prevent the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, reports AFP.
The rally was organized by the October Council, an association of families of those killed and people taken hostage by Palestinian militants.
The rally participants marched from Rabin Square to Hostages Square, which had repeatedly served as a protest site calling for the release of captives held in the Gaza Strip.
Many Israelis view the upcoming election as a vote on the performance of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, which has been in power since late 2022.
“Whoever has been leading us for the past four years has done such a terrible job,” 68-year-old protester Hadas Feuershtein told AFP.
“Israel has never been in a situation as it is now,” she added.
The demonstration was also attended by the leaders of the four main opposition parties. Among them was Gadi Eisenkot, whose approval rating has nearly caught up with Netanyahu’s.
Why people are protesting against Netanyahu’s government
Protesters and opposition parties are demanding the establishment of an independent state commission of inquiry to investigate the security failures that preceded the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023.
“Three days before the election, we will hold the culminating event marking three years of struggle to uncover the truth, demand accountability, and establish a state commission of inquiry,” the October Council said.
Netanyahu’s government has refused to establish an independent commission. Instead, the authorities proposed forming a body that would include equal numbers of representatives from the ruling coalition and the opposition.
However, opposition leaders said they would boycott such a commission because its composition would be determined by politicians.
The latest polls published before the ban on releasing results took effect showed that neither political bloc would secure a majority of seats in Israel’s new parliament.
Earlier, Israel launched a large-scale operation in Hebron following a deadly attack on military personnel. The army is conducting searches, while the authorities are preparing to demolish entire neighborhoods.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is pushing for new large-scale strikes on Iran and has instructed the military to prepare an offensive plan.
