Mass anti-government protest held in Tel Aviv ahead of Israeli elections

On Saturday, October 25, 2026, tens of thousands of citizens gathered in Tel Aviv for a major anti-government demonstration, occurring just three days before Israel's parliamentary elections. This upcoming vote is widely regarded as a referendum on the leadership of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The protest was organized by the October Council, a group formed by families of victims and hostages from the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack. Demonstrators are demanding accountability for the security failures that allowed the 2023 attack to occur. The organizers are explicitly calling for the establishment of an official state commission of inquiry to identify those responsible for the security lapses. The current government has consistently refused to launch such an investigation.

While reports vary on the specific turnout, with some sources citing several thousand and others estimating more than 100,000 participants, the event highlights deep-seated public frustration. As the nation approaches the polls, the movement continues to emphasize the need for transparency and institutional accountability regarding the security failures that have defined the political discourse in Israel for the past three years.