Israelis Rally for Pullout From West Bank, Gaza

Sat May 11, 2002

TEL AVIV (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of Israelis rallied on Saturday night to call for an Israeli withdrawal from Palestinian territories in what organizers said was the biggest peace demonstration for 20 years. The protest was organized by the Peace Now movement.

Police estimated the crowd at about 50,000. Peace Now put the figure at above 100,000, calling it the biggest peace rally since some 200,000 people turned out in 1982 to call for an Israeli military pullout from Lebanon.

Opposition politicians and artists addressed a throng waving a sea of banners saying "Leave the territories for the sake of Israel" and "Two states for two peoples."

About 200 people held a demonstration in New York in sympathy with the Tel Aviv rally. "We're against Sharon now, his policies will not prevail," Rabbi Israeli Dresner told the crowd. "We believe that peace is possible and that it's probable."