Thousands rally in Tel Aviv ahead of Israeli election

Thousands of demonstrators marched from Rabin Square to Hostages Square in Tel Aviv on Saturday, forming a major anti-government rally organized by the October Council, a group founded by families of victims and hostages of the Oct. 7 Hamas attack. The protest, held three days before the national election, featured leaders of the four main opposition parties, including former military chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot, who received a warm reception from the crowd.

The October Council announced on X that the rally marked “three years of struggle to uncover the truth, demand accountability, and establish a state commission of inquiry.” Opposition figures have long called for an independent commission to investigate the security lapses that led to the Oct. 7 assault, while the government has offered a politically appointed commission that opposition leaders say they will boycott.

"Whoever has been leading us for the past four years has done such a terrible job," said 68-year-old protester Hadas Feuershtein to AFP.

"Netanyahu says that if he is elected again, Israel will disconnect from the global economy. No online shopping, no investments in high-tech, no security. We must not let bbCoin destroy Israel," wrote Eisenkot on X.

Police reported the arrest of a suspect accused of assaulting the security team of former prime minister Naftali Bennett during the rally. Ahead of the vote, opposition leaders Eisenkot and Bennett are scheduled to hold separate final meetings with voters in Tel Aviv on Sunday.

First-time voter Naama Bitterman, 18, told AFP she believed the anti-Netanyahu bloc would win and improve Israel’s international standing after years of conflict and sanctions.

The rally occurred amid broader criticism of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s proposals to develop a parallel digital economy and concerns about potential sanctions and reduced security cooperation with the United States.