OMM Newsroom
Thousands of Israelis gathered in Tel Aviv on Saturday to call for an independent commission to investigate failures surrounding the Hamas-led attack of Oct. 7, 2023, AnewZ reported. The rally took place at Hostages Square, three days before the national election.
The protest was organized by the October Council, which represents relatives and friends of victims and survivors of the attack. Opposition leaders also attended the rally, where demonstrators criticized the government in power at the time of the attack, chanted “Shame” and called for political change and accountability.
Opinion polls suggest Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition could lose its parliamentary majority. However, the fragmented political landscape makes the election outcome uncertain. Netanyahu’s main rival, centrist Gadi Eisenkot, is also facing difficulties in forming a governing coalition.
Dimona at the heart of the election campaign
The Negev Desert city of Dimona has traditionally been considered a stronghold of Netanyahu’s Likud party. However, some voters dissatisfied with the government are campaigning for Eisenkot’s Yashar! party ahead of Tuesday’s election.
Likud won about half the vote in Dimona in the 2022 election, and Netanyahu retains strong support in the city. At the same time, some residents want a change of government, potentially turning Dimona into a battleground for undecided voters.
Michal Elmalem Abu, a former Likud city council member who now leads Eisenkot’s campaign in Dimona, said it was targeting voters who recognized that the country was in crisis and were open to changing their minds.
About 13% of Israeli voters have yet to decide whom to support, according to the Viterbi Family Center for Public Opinion and Policy Research at the Israel Democracy Institute. Of those who voted for Likud in 2022, 55% said they intended to vote for the party again. Some 15% plan to support parties opposed to Netanyahu, while 8% favor Yashar!.
Amotz Asa-El, a political scientist at the Hartman Institute, said cities such as Dimona give Eisenkot an opportunity to win support from Likud’s traditional voter base.
Despite the challenges, Netanyahu continues to enjoy strong support among many residents. Oria Asaf, an Eisenkot supporter, said she hoped voters would look to the future rather than their past political loyalties: “When people start thinking about their children’s future instead of their parents’ past, the government will change.”
