Observers standing as close as 10 feet from the speaker system could not make out Saidoff's words. The rally's keynote speaker, Israeli peace activist Ehud Nuri, was better able to make himself heard above the chanting. Peace is the only future we desire. As long as you believe in it, peace is not dead. I believe this is true for the Palestinian people too, but their inspirations can only be achieved by peace.
Peace starts with dialogue.
At the conclusion of Nuri's speech, the event's organizers took to the stage and sang several Israeli and Arabic peace songs while the pro-Palestinians continued to chant. After several minutes of singing, Sall took the microphone again and said he and Nuri would meet the leaders of the pro-Palestinian group in the middle of the plaza to shake hands. Sall and Nuri walked to the middle and extended their hands, but the counter-protesters did not budge. Sall claims that he was showered with anti-Israeli insults, and after a few moments a security guard insisted Sall and Nuri get back on the stage. One of the pro-Palestinian leaders dismissed Sall's request as a meaningless gesture.