Protesters from across the country, cutting across all affiliations, thronged Tel Aviv on Thursday reflecting the widespread dissatisfaction with Olmert's leadership.

The police said the protesters at the famous Rabin Square numbered more than 100,000 while the oganisers claimed that close to 200,000 protesters were in attendance, making it one of the largest rallies in Israel in recent times.

A banner reading "Failures, Go Home!" hung behind a podium set up at one end of the square in front of Tel Aviv city hall.

"Ehud Olmert, you said you work for us. Olmert, you are fired!" said keynote speaker, author Meir Shalev.

The organiser of the rally, Uzi Dayan, chairman of the Tafnit movement which failed to open its account in last elections, said, "Democracy has emerged victorious".

Despite a number of cracks since the Winograd Commission issued its interim report on Monday, Olmert's governing coalition has held together, with little apparent appetite among its members for an election that could go Netanyahu's way.

"The Winograd Committee that the prime minister established has courageously stood up to him and said clearly, "Mr Olmert, you failed," Dayan said. - DDNews India