May 12, 2002	Sunday	Safar 28, 1423

TEL AVIV, May 11: More than 50,000 demonstrators turned out in Tel Aviv on Saturday for a massive peace rally and to demand Israel withdraw from the Palestinian territories.

The organizer of the rally, the Peace Now group, also claimed the protest was the biggest peace demonstration since the outbreak of the Palestinian intifada in Sept 2000.

“This is the first time since the intifada that we have had such a massive demonstration with people in clear opposition to the government,” Peace Now spokesman Arye Arnon said.

“This is radical. This turnout is on the basis that one day we will return to the 1967 borders with Jerusalem as the capital of two states and the elimination of the settlements,” Arnon said.

“This is much bigger than expected,” the leader of the main opposition Meretz party, Yossi Sarid, told AFP at the rally.

“It is a very important message to the Israeli government, the Arab world and the international community. There is a peace camp in Israel and it is raising its voice,” he said.

“From tonight, (Israeli Prime Minister Ariel) Sharon can be assured that is no consensus for a military operation” in Gaza, he added. —AFP