While George W. Bush and Al Gore '69 traded barbs about Social Security and prescription drugs inside the UMass debate hall last night, over 250 demonstrators gathered outside to raise an issue neither candidate addressed: the recent violence in the Middle East.

Protesting this week's violent conflicts in Israel, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, the demonstrators called on the U.S. to withdraw military aid from Israel.

Fighting and rioting has flared between Palestinians and the Israeli army since Ariel Sharon's visit to a contested holy site late last week. The death toll has reached at least 54, with 42 Palestinian casualties.

The Harvard Islamic Society (HIS) and the Harvard-Radcliffe Society of Arab Students (HSAS) co-sponsored the protest, joining the Islamic Society of New England, the Islamic Society of Boston (ISB) and groups from throughout the region.

Organizers were pleased with the diversity of the group.

"Look," said Samer Abu-Ghazaleh of the ISB, "we are a group of Muslims, Christians, Americans from different backgrounds who are here to send a message to policymakers in the United States that tax dollars shouldn't go to support inhumane acts of the state of Israel."

Attendance was greater than had been expected, given the short notice for the event.

"I was surprised, glad, at how good the turnout worked out," said Mikail Abdalla, a librarian at the University of Rhode Island. "I was expecting maybe 100, 120 people."

Abdalla rode up with approximately 20 members of the University of Rhode Island's Islamic society.

Sara M. Hashmi '01, vice president of HIS, said HIS received an e-mail message inviting them to co-sponsor the rally on Monday morning. About 10 members rode out together from Harvard, and several others arrived over the course of the protest.

The rally's purpose was to draw attention to the conflict rather than to support any candidate.

According to Hashmi, HIS has discussed getting involved in this year's elections, but "we've stayed away from political issues in general."

"People like to pin certain extremist ideas on Muslims," added Rita Hamad '03, vice president of HSAS.

Some onlookers did so last night.

Amidst a sea of Gore, Bush and Nader signs, pro-Palestinian demonstrators carried placards reading, "Israel Must Respect International Law," "Sharon Hoots: Barak Shoots" and "Helicopter vs. Children: Not Fair."

Small children wearing fake blood splattered on their white t-shirts led the group on their march.

The group largely bemused other protesters and candidate supporters, who often asked who they were voting for, and sometimes yelled ethnic slurs.

Several times, Gore supporters met the group on the march and began shouting matches, trying to drown out chants of "Justice for Palestine" with an "Al Gore, Al Gore" chant.

Demonstrators were shouted down at one point by a chant of "USA, USA" from Carpenters for Gore.

The evening's most emotionally charged moment came when about 150 Muslim members of the group stood and kneeled shoulder to shoulder for prayer at the end of the rally, using placards and jackets for prayer rugs.

Their worship was met with isolated jeers of "We speak English in this country," and "Terrorists!" but the sympathetic crowd that gathered quickly silenced these.

"There were some people yelling, swearing, but that's normal," said protestor Mohammed Al-Rishaq, of Somerville.

Angelie Patel, a Wellesley student, said she was more optimistic.

"It was peaceful. Most people were very supportive," she said. "Some people were [harassing us], but people shut them down."