TEL AVIV, Israel — Thousands of Israelis took to the streets of Tel Aviv on October 24, demanding accountability from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government over the security failures surrounding the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack, just three days before Israel’s October 27 parliamentary election.
The large anti-government demonstration brought together families of victims and hostages, survivors, civil society activists and opposition politicians. Their central demand was the establishment of an independent state commission of inquiry into how the devastating attack happened and why Israel’s security system failed to prevent it.
The protest placed renewed pressure on Netanyahu as voters prepared to choose the country’s next parliament in an election widely viewed as a major test of his leadership.
According to reporting by Channel NewsAsia, Agence France-Presse and The Times of Israel, the rally was organized by the October Council, an advocacy group representing families affected by the October 7 attack and the subsequent hostage crisis.
The demonstration also underscored a question that has remained politically sensitive in Israel: who should investigate the decisions and security failures that preceded the attack?
Families Demand an Independent Investigation
The October Council has spent years pressing the government to establish an independent investigation into the events of October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants attacked communities in southern Israel, killing people and taking hostages into Gaza. The attack triggered the war in Gaza.
Organizers said their campaign was about uncovering the truth, establishing accountability and ensuring that the circumstances surrounding the security failures receive an independent examination.
The group described the Tel Aviv rally as a culmination of its efforts to put the issue at the center of public debate before election day.
Netanyahu’s government has declined to establish the type of independent state commission sought by the families. Instead, it has proposed a politically constituted inquiry, with members appointed by both governing-coalition and opposition lawmakers.
Critics of that alternative argue that politicians should not control an investigation into failures for which government officials themselves could face scrutiny. Opposition leaders have said they would boycott a commission appointed through the proposed political arrangement.
A state commission of inquiry in Israel is designed to investigate major public failures independently, with legal powers that include compelling testimony. Its findings could have significant political consequences, depending on what the investigation establishes.
Opposition Leaders Join the Demonstration
The protest also drew prominent opposition figures, including former military chief Gadi Eisenkot, former prime minister Yair Lapid, Naftali Bennett and Yair Golan, according to Israeli media reports.
Eisenkot, a former Israel Defense Forces chief of staff and a leading challenger to Netanyahu, received a warm reception from demonstrators, AFP reported.
The gathering came as opposition parties sought to turn public frustration over the October 7 security failures into a central election issue.
However, the demonstration’s political significance should not be confused with a confirmed election result. Public protests demonstrate the views of participating citizens, but they do not by themselves establish how the wider electorate will vote.
A Closely Watched Election
Israel’s October 27 election is taking place amid continuing debate over national security, the war in Gaza, relations with international partners and the country’s political direction.
Polls published before election-period restrictions took effect indicated that neither Netanyahu’s right-wing bloc nor the opposing bloc was projected to secure a clear majority in the 120-seat Knesset, Israel’s parliament.
A poll cited by Channel NewsAsia and AFP, attributed to Israeli public broadcaster KAN, projected 52 seats for Eisenkot’s bloc and 50 for Netanyahu’s bloc, with the remaining seats going to other parties, including Arab parties.
Those figures were polling estimates, not election results. The eventual distribution of seats and the negotiations required to form a government would determine the next stage of Israel’s political future.
International Pressure Adds to the Debate
The domestic political dispute is unfolding as Israel faces international criticism over the war in Gaza and growing tensions surrounding its policies in the occupied West Bank.
Channel NewsAsia and AFP also reported that Britain and several other countries had imposed sanctions targeting goods from Israeli settlements in the West Bank, amid concerns over settler violence and settlement expansion.
Netanyahu has additionally warned that Israel may need to develop a more independent economic and military position if international support becomes less reliable. His remarks about a possible alternative digital economy drew criticism from opposition politicians, who argued that such a direction could further isolate the country.
These disputes form part of the broader political environment confronting Israeli voters, although the central demand at the Tel Aviv rally remained an independent investigation into the October 7 failures.
What Happens After the Protest?
The demonstration has renewed attention on the unresolved demand for an independent inquiry, but it does not guarantee that the government will establish one.
The October 27 election will determine the composition of the Knesset and shape the negotiations over who governs Israel next. Whether a new government is formed under Netanyahu or an alternative coalition, the question of accountability for October 7 is likely to remain a significant issue in the country’s political debate.
For families who lost loved ones, survivors and relatives of hostages, the demand is straightforward: a full accounting of what went wrong and an investigation they believe can operate independently of political interests.
As Israelis prepare to vote, the question is whether their next government will take a different approach to investigating the failures surrounding October 7—or whether the dispute over accountability will continue beyond election day.
