TEL AVIV - Thousands of Israelis took the streets of Tel Aviv on Saturday night, calling for new peace talks with the Palestinians, amid an international effort to quell a month-long Israeli-Palestinian wave of violence.

The protesters marched from Rabin Square in central Tel Aviv, Israel's trade capital, towards Hakirya defense compound, where the ministry of defense is located.

According to Peace Now, a left-wing organization that organized the march, about 6,000 people attended the event.

The demonstrators chanted "Jews and Arabs refuse to be enemies" and "two states for two people, Israel and Palestine."

"These difficult days, days of violence, fear, and pain, are only reinforcing our understanding that there will be no real security here until there's peace through a negotiated solution," the organizers said in a statement.

ZehavaGalon, the leader of the left-wing faction of Meretz, addressed the crowd, saying "Netanyahu, you've failed. You've failed in providing personal security for the citizens of Israel; you've failed in proposing any vision for changing the reality."

Peace Now chairman Yariv Oppenheimer blamed the government and ultra-nationalist leaders for the recent unrest.

"They took a whole country hostage of an unnecessary religious war, and we're all paying the price," he told the protesters. He accused the government of turning the country into a "violent, racist and hopeless" place.

The recent spate of violence includes almost daily attacks by Palestinians and violent clashes between Israeli security forces and Palestinian youth protesters.(Xinhua)