Some 500 people rallied at Tel Aviv’s Habima Square on Saturday night against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, accusing him of failing to secure Israel’s stated war goals against Iran and rejecting a state commission of inquiry into the Hamas attack of October 7, 2023.
Speakers Denounce Netanyahu’s Leadership
Tech entrepreneur and retired Air Force officer Kobi Richter addressed Netanyahu directly, saying, “We, the pilots… won a sweeping and total victory in Iran. You, the supposed strong global leader, failed.” The crowd responded with applause and chants.
Carmit Palti-Katzir, whose brother Elad was taken hostage and killed in captivity, and whose father Rami was killed on October 7, also spoke. Her mother Hanna was held hostage and later released. Palti-Katzir said affected families are engaged in a “struggle for the truth” about that day, while Netanyahu, by rejecting an independent probe, “seeks to move on” from the massacre and “avert his gaze from the thousands of graves.”
Criticism Over Hostage Handling
Palti-Katzir slammed Netanyahu for boasting in a press conference this week about returning hostages from Gaza, dead or alive. “Don’t be proud that you brought them back,” she said. “Be ashamed that they were abducted.” She noted that her brother Elad survived 99 days in captivity and that multiple opportunities existed to secure his release in a deal. “How cheap was his life in the eyes of this leadership?” she asked, as the crowd erupted in jeers.
The rally underscores growing public frustration with Netanyahu’s handling of the war and the hostage crisis, with many demanding accountability and a transparent investigation into the security failures of October 7.
