Thousands rally in Tel Aviv against Netanyahu ahead of Israeli election

Thousands rallied in Tel Aviv on Saturday against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, three days before a general election widely seen as a referendum on his leadership. The protest was organized by the October Council, a group founded by families of victims and hostages from the Oct 7, 2023 Hamas attack. The demonstration drew leaders of four main opposition parties, including former military chief Gadi Eisenkot, who is running neck and neck with Netanyahu. Latest polls before a Friday night gag period showed neither bloc would win a majority in Israel's 120-seat parliament, with Eisenkot's bloc projected at 52 seats and Netanyahu's at 50. The October Council demands an independent state commission of inquiry into the security failures leading to Oct 7, which Netanyahu's government has refused, offering instead a political commission. Opposition leaders also criticized Netanyahu's suggestion of an alternate digital economy to counter international isolation, with Eisenkot sarcastically dubbing it "bbCoin."