Jakarta – Several thousand Indonesians rallied on Sunday to protest against Israel's military operations in Palestinian areas, the latest demonstration in the world's most populous Muslim nation.

Separately, Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda said he had told a visiting senior U.S. official that Indonesia wanted the United States to press Israel to withdraw from Palestinian territories.

The protesters – mainly wearing traditional white Muslim dress – defied scorching heat to gather at the national monument square near the presidential palace in central Jakarta. Estimates of their numbers ranged from 3,000 to 5,000.

The protesters, mostly from the Muslim-oriented Justice Party, burnt an effigy of Israel's Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. "Kick out Israel, the invader," read one of many anti-Israel slogans at the rally. Another banner said: "Bush and Sharon go to hell."

Bush called on Saturday for Israel to withdraw its forces from Palestinian areas "without delay". Sharon promised to end the 10-day campaign, which has included a siege of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's office, "as expeditiously as possible."

Foreign Minister Wirajuda told reporters that in a meeting with U.S. Trade Representative Robert Zoellick, a member of President George W. Bush's cabinet, he had repeated Indonesia's condemnation of Israel's actions.

"The United States must use its influence to press Israel to withdraw its military forces from Palestine ... dissatisfaction among some groups of people in Indonesia even among the government has (been) emboldened," Wirajuda said. "Indonesia will never accept the fact that Israel is cornering Arafat, because he is a leader of a nation."

Talks with Megawati

Zoellick spoke to reporters separately after talking to Wirajuda and made no comment on the Middle East, but said he had discussed Indonesia's role in the U.S.-led war on terror.

"I ... emphasised how important the efforts of the Indonesian government are in terms of dealing with these [terrorism] questions at home and in the region."

Later in the day Zoellick met with President Megawati Sukarnoputri and in a brief statement after the session said he had expressed gratitude for Indonesia's support since the September 11 attacks on the United States.

"I ... thanked her personally for [the] policy that she has had and her government has had against terrorism ... and I also asked on her behalf to thank the people of Indonesia because after the attacks ... there were many expressions of warmth and support." Zoellick again made no reference to the Middle East.

Megawati had greeted him warmly with a broad smile but, as is often her practice, had no comments for the media either before or after the meeting.

Sunday's protest was the latest in a series of anti-Israel demonstrations in Indonesia in the past week since Israel's incursions. On Friday Indonesian police turned water cannons on hundreds of Muslim protesters who tried to approach the U.S. embassy. The protest coincided with several similar rallies in other major Indonesian cities.

Around 85 percent of Indonesia's 210 million population is Muslim. Most follow a moderate interpretation of Islam.