Thousands of protesters have gathered this Saturday in Tel Aviv to demand the creation of an investigation commission regarding the attacks of October 7 and to show their rejection of the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, just three days before the legislative elections next Tuesday, in which the leader is risking his political continuity.
The mobilization took place in the newly named Square of the Kidnapped in Tel Aviv, where families of the deceased and survivors convened by the October Council have gathered, demanding an official commission to thoroughly analyze the attack of October 7 and for political leaders to begin to take their share of responsibility for what happened.
The October Council has emphasized that the gathering is a civil initiative of the families and not an act of support for any specific party or candidacy. "The main message this afternoon is the creation of an investigation commission regarding the events of October 7, in addition to demanding accountability, unity, hope, and corrections," the organization explained.
Among the attendees were also prominent figures from the opposition, such as Gadi Eisenkot from the Yashar party; Yair Lapid from Yesh Atid; Avigdor Lieberman from Yisrael Beiteinu; or Yair Golan from the Democratic Party.
"Starting Wednesday, we will work to have a state investigation commission that brings truth, light, and justice for the families," Golan stated, according to Israeli media. "It is our duty. It is our mission. We will recover, build, and repair. It is our mission," he argued.
The focus of the event, however, has fallen on the relatives, victims, and survivors of the kidnapping, who have spoken one after another to defend the need for an independent investigation into the "failure of October 7" that allowed "hundreds of civilians to be massacred and kidnapped."
In this regard, Rabbi Elchanan Danino, father of Uri Danino, who was kidnapped and murdered under the custody of Hamas militias, has emphasized the importance of clarifying what happened. "The investigation commission will not bring our children back to us, but it is a duty for all of us. It is a duty for your future and our future," he argued.
Days before the protest, Netanyahu's Likud party requested the Central Electoral Commission to prohibit the broadcast of the event on the main television channels, claiming that it was "electoral propaganda," but the request was ultimately rejected.