Thousands Rally in Tel Aviv Against Netanyahu Government Three Days Before Tight Election
Three days before Israel heads into its first general election since its genocidal war began against the Palestinians in 2023, thousands of Israelis have taken to the streets in Hostage Square in a mass rally organised by the October Council.
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In a Nutshell
- Thousands of Israelis rallied at Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square on October 24 in a demonstration organised by the October Council, founded by families of hostages taken to Gaza, demanding an independent state commission of inquiry into the October 7, 2023, attacks.
- Opposition leaders, including Gadi Eisenkot and Yair Golan, have also rejected Netanyahu’s proposed political commission, which would divide appointments between the government and opposition.
- Netanyahu’s ruling coalition, comprising Likud, Jewish Power, Religious Zionism, Shas and United Torah Judaism, and the opposition bloc led by Eisenkot are both projected to fall short of the 61 seats needed for a Knesset majority, raising the possibility of a prolonged coalition deadlock.
- More than 600,000 Israeli citizens live abroad but generally cannot vote from overseas, with exceptions for diplomats and certain official emissaries. They must usually return to Israel to cast their ballots.
- The US-based Fly&Vote initiative sought to help Israeli expatriates travel home to vote. Likud petitioned the Central Elections Committee to block the initiative, alleging links to the opposition Democrats party and claiming it could influence the election. The petition was withdrawn after the organisers agreed not to pay for voters’ tickets.
- Both Netanyahu’s Likud and opposition parties are using bots and AI-generated or deepfake videos to attack rival camps online. Haaretz reported that bots previously created to undermine Iran were being repurposed to promote Likud and warn voters against Eisenkot and former prime minister Naftali Bennett.
- After election authorities restricted Likud’s use of its election turnout-tracking app over privacy concerns, the party introduced Victory 26. The app allows activists to identify areas with low turnout and target people who have not yet voted, making voter mobilisation another focus of the final campaign push.
Context
The October Council, founded by families of captives taken to Gaza, has been demanding an independent state commission of inquiry into the security failures that allowed Hamas to carry out the October 7 attacks. Netanyahu's government has instead proposed a commission whose members would be appointed partly by the government and partly by opposition legislators. Opposition leaders have rejected the proposal, arguing that politicians cannot independently investigate the failures of the government they belong to or oppose. Saturday's rally in Tel Aviv was part of a wider campaign to hold officials accountable, with Eisenkot and other opposition figures also joining the demonstrations.
The election is also unfolding amid a significant number of Israelis living abroad who ordinarily cannot vote from their country of residence. Israel allows absentee voting mainly for diplomats and certain state emissaries, meaning most expatriates must return home to cast their ballots. More than 600,000 Israelis reportedly live abroad, nearly 6% of the population, with the US hosting the largest community, followed by Canada, Germany and the UK.
The AID Coalition, a US-based nonprofit, launched its Fly&Vote initiative to help Israeli expatriates return home for the election. Likud petitioned the Central Elections Committee to block the initiative, alleging links between the coalition and the opposition Democrats and arguing that its activities could amount to election bribery. The petition was later withdrawn after the coalition agreed not to pay for the travel tickets.
Meanwhile, the campaign has increasingly moved online. Both camps have circulated bots and AI-generated videos portraying their opponents as dangerous or unfit to govern. According to Al Jazeera, some videos have depicted Netanyahu confronting criticism over the October 7 security failures, while others have targeted Eisenkot and his relationship with Arab political parties.
Why It Matters
For a tight election race where neither bloc is projected to gain the majority it needs in Parliament, voter turnout will be a significant factor. Within Israel, secular cities like Tel Aviv and Haifa have historically shown around 60% turnout, a comparatively low number when seen alongside the 80% to 85% turnouts in ultra-Orthodox areas like Jerusalem and Bnei Brak, which host large Haredi populations. Netanyahu’s leading party, Likud, is planning to mobilise voters through an app called Victory 26, which would allow party activists to identify areas with low turnout, track those who have voted, and target those who have not. According to Israeli daily Haaretz, Likud is encouraging its supporters and potential sympathisers to download Victory 26 ahead of Tuesday. In an election where neither bloc is projected to secure a majority, these efforts to mobilise voters could influence the final distribution of seats.
As for the more than 600,000 Israelis who live abroad in countries such as the United States, Canada, Germany and the United Kingdom, most cannot vote from overseas and must return to Israel to cast their ballots. Netanyahu’s decision to file a petition against the AID Coalition’s Fly&Vote initiative, which sought to help expatriates travel home to vote, suggests that his party views their participation as a potential electoral disadvantage, especially since a reported 61% of American Israelis view his government unfavourably. However, this figure does not establish how expatriates intend to vote, and Likud withdrew its petition after the initiative agreed not to pay for tickets.
In the weeks leading up to the election, both Likud and the major opposition bloc led by former military chief Eisenkot have been actively taking part in an online disinformation war to sway voter sentiment through the use of bot networks, deepfakes and AI-generated videos to smear their opponents. The online campaigns have included videos portraying Netanyahu confronting his alleged failings surrounding October 7, while another video shared by Netanyahu depicted Eisenkot embracing Arab party leader Mansour Abbas. As election analysts describe it, both blocs are essentially engaging in “affective polarisation”, where they are otherising their opposition and attempting to bring potential sympathisers back into their own political camp. These tactics add another dimension to the battle for votes, as the parties seek not only to mobilise their supporters but also to shape how voters perceive their opponents.
What We Think
Netanyahu’s government faces a potential challenge from its own citizens, as the frustration that has culminated in mass rallies just three days before the election could translate into a lower-than-expected voter turnout for Likud. However, if neither bloc secures a majority, the two parties could form a joint coalition. If coalition talks fail, Israel could face another election in 2027, giving Netanyahu more time to remain in office.
Even if Eisenkot were to lead a government, there would be little difference in his party’s position on Palestinian statehood; both he and Netanyahu strongly oppose the establishment of a separate Palestinian state. The one major policy difference would be mandatory military conscription, which would extend to Arab citizens of Israel and ultra-Orthodox Jews who are currently exempt from compulsory military service.