Tens of thousands of Israelis rallied in a Tel Aviv square after sundown Thursday, demanding that Prime Minister Ehud Olmert resign because of a government inquiry's scathing criticism of his handling of the inconclusive war in Lebanon.Olmert remained defiant, hoping to beat back a wave of calls for him to step down. A day after his popular foreign minister joined the chorus, Olmert's aides argued it was not a mortal political blow, but conceded a large-scale public protest campaign could bring him down.
The rally drew a cross-section of Israelis — moderates and hard-liners, secular and religious, young and old, a rare mix symbolizing the widespread dissatisfaction with Olmert.
On a warm, muggy night, the crowd was well-behaved, and hundreds of police stationed around the square had nothing to do. Demonstrators carried signs reading "Elections now" and "Olmert, go home." A small group held aloft a mock black coffin labeled, "Government, RIP."
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