Prime Minister Ehud Olmert reiterated his intention to remain in office Friday, Israel Radio reported, despite Thursday evening's massive protest in Tel Aviv calling on him and Defense Minister Amir Peretz to resign.

Meanwhile, Peretz has yet to decide whether or not he plans to resign immediately, or following the upcoming Labor primaries as he has previously said.

At least 120,000 people rallied Thursday in Tel Aviv's Rabin Square, in the first national protest calling on Olmert and Peretz to resign over the damning Winograd report on the Second Lebanon War.

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Organizers claim the protest rally was attended by at least 200,000. Police, however, estimate that only some 120,000 attended.

"Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, you said you worked for us. You are fired!" said the evening's keynote speaker, author Meir Shalev. "Amir Peretz, you said Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah would never forget your name. Well, neither will we."

"Olmert and Peretz, we have received confirmation that both of you came to power in the wrong positions," he continued. "You can't handle the position, you failed. Go home." Despite the fact that the rally organizers made great efforts to include protesters from a wide political spectrum, Shalev overstepped the bounds of the rally's consensus, and was booed by many demonstrators.

"You do not know how to wage war, but you are equally incompetent at making peace," he said. "Thanks to the war you stupidly embarked on, we have understood what has happened after 40 years of occupation. This is the result. Go home, goodbye and good riddance."

Rally organizer Major-General (res.) Uzi Dayan, who is chairman of the Tafnit movement, also addressed the crowd, saying that "the Winograd Committee that the prime minister established has courageously stood up to him and said clearly ¬ Mr. Olmert, you have failed," said Dayan.

"The prime minister is refusing to accept personal responsibility and resign, and is therefore undermining the foundations of democracy," Dayan accused. "Olmert, don't stall for time, don't delay the end until the summer, do the right thing and go home."

The protesters echoed their discontent. "We came here to cry against what has happened, said Malka and Henri Malesch, a 75-year-old couple from Kiryat Ono.

"I came to protest against the government for not doing anything," said Tal Geva, a student at Sderot's Sapir College and a resident of the borderline community of Ein Habesor. "For not implementing the Winograd conclusions, for not taking care of Sderot and other Gaza-area residents properly, for not providing us with reinforced buildings, and for sending us to reserve duty and then not taking care of us."

In addition to unaffiliated protesters, the rally attracted activists from all ranges of the political spectrum. Among them were left-wing Meretz activists, protesting shoulder to shoulder with right-wing Yeshiva students attending paramilitary preparatory courses.

This was made possible by the organizers' decision not to invite politicians to speak at the rally, inviting bereaved families and artists instead. The rally's organizers said their decision to hold the protest without politicians was aimed at attracting as many people as possible. However, they called on all politicians interested to come and protest, even if they do not speak.

Several politicians indeed decided to accept the invitation, and attended the event. They included Labor MKs Ami Ayalon, Ophir Pines-Paz and Danny Yatom ¬ three of the candidates for leadership of the party. Also from Labor, MK Avishai Braverman attended the rally. MKs from Likud, the National Religious Party, the National Union party and Meretz also attended the demonstration.

However, conspicuously missing from the event was former prime minister Ehud Barak, who will also vie for leadership of the Labor party during the upcoming primaries. Barak is the last remaining candidate that has not yet expressed any views regarding the Winograd report.

One of Olmert's advisers, Tal Zilberstein, shrugged off the rally, saying it would not prompt the prime minister to rethink his decision not to resign.

"We're here to tell Olmert to go," protester Yigal Armoni said at the demonstration. Summing up the hope that prompted many of protesters to attend, he added: "He's hanging on a limb anyway. All he needs is a small push, but tonight we'll give him a big one."