Thousands protest Netanyahu in Tel Aviv ahead of Israeli election

Thousands protested in Tel Aviv on Saturday against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, three days before a general election seen as a referendum on his leadership. The demonstration, organized by the October Council, drew thousands of marchers demanding accountability for the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack. The rally featured leaders of four main opposition parties, including former military chief Gadi Eisenkot, who is polling close to Netanyahu. Organizers called for an independent state commission of inquiry into the security failures, which Netanyahu's government has refused to establish, offering instead a political commission that opposition leaders have vowed to boycott. Recent polls show neither bloc securing a parliamentary majority, with Eisenkot's alliance projected at 52 seats and Netanyahu's at 50. Opposition leaders also criticized Netanyahu's suggestion of developing an alternate digital economy to counter international isolation, with Eisenkot sarcastically dubbing the idea "bbCoin."