SANAA, Yemen, (AP) – Yemen’s embattled president has accused the United States and Israel of trying to destabilize his country and the Arab world.

Ali Abdullah Saleh’s comments marked his harshest public criticism yet of the U.S., a key ally. Tuesday’s speech at Sanaa University appeared part of his effort to blunt growing calls for his ouster. He claimed that “there is an operations room in Tel Aviv with the aim of destabilizing the Arab world” and that it is “run by the White House.”

An hour after his speech, tens of thousands of protesters marched to the university, joined for the first time by opposition parties. Sheik Abdul-Majid al-Zindani, considered by the U.S. to be linked to the al-Qaeda terror network, was present at the gathering.