TEL AVIV: Thousands of people gathered in Tel Aviv on Saturday for an anti-government rally against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, three days before a general election widely seen as a referendum on his leadership.
The demonstration was organised by the October Council, a group formed by families of victims and hostages taken by Palestinian militants during the October 7, 2023, attack. The group has called for accountability over the failure to prevent the assault that triggered the Gaza war.
According to Israeli media, leaders of the four main opposition parties attended the rally. Gadi Eisenkot, a former military chief of staff whose bloc was polling closely with Netanyahu’s, received a warm welcome from the crowd.
Ahead of the demonstration, the October Council said on X that the rally would mark three years of its campaign to uncover the truth, demand accountability and establish a state commission of inquiry.
The latest opinion polls published before an election-related publication blackout took effect on Friday night indicated that neither political bloc was projected to secure a parliamentary majority.
A poll by public broadcaster KAN projected that Eisenkot’s bloc would win 52 seats in the 120-member parliament, compared with 50 for Netanyahu’s bloc. The remaining seats were projected to go to unaffiliated parties, including Arab parties.
The election is expected to determine the country’s political direction amid continuing public debate over the October 7 attack and the government’s handling of the war in Gaza.