They are both among the 115 signatories to sign a public statement to mark the 60th anniversary of the Palestinian Nakba (‘catastrophe’) that appears in The Times newspaper (UK) today. The statement has been organised by Nakba60 campaign to be issued on the 15th May – the day Palestinians commemorate the Nakba – and has been signed by MPs, MEPs, Peers, artists, musicians, film-makers, academics, journalists, and society and faith organisations. Other prominent signatories include: Mike Leigh, Baroness Jenny Tonge, Harold Pinter, Tariq Ali, Ken Loach, Peter Kennard, Professor Ilan Pappe, Robert Del Naja (of Massive Attack), Professor Robert Edwards (IVF pioneer who co-created the world's first test tube baby) and Andrew Innes (of Primal Scream)
(See below full list of signatories)

The statement calls for Israel to:
• recognise its responsibility for the past injustices of the Nakba and the on-going Occupation;
• respect and implement UN Resolution 194 (that calls for restitution of Palestinian refugees of 1948)
• recognise the right of the Palestinian people to self determination and their right to live in equality in their homeland;
• withdraw from the occupied Palestinian territories.
(See below full text of the statement)

"This is a powerful and urgent call for action, as, sixty years on, the ethnic cleansing of the Palestinians during the Nakba has not been acknowledged" said Ziyaad Lunat, Committee Member of the Nakba60 Campaign "Britain bears a historic responsibility towards the Palestinian people and our government must do more to pressure Israel to respect its international obligations in restoring the inalienable rights and dignity of the Palestinian people."

Text of the statement:
“This year marks the 60th anniversary of the Palestinian Nakba (catastrophe) in which two-thirds of the indigenous Palestinian Arab population were forcibly expelled from their homes and over 530 Palestinian villages and towns were systematically depopulated and destroyed by Zionist militias. This campaign was waged in order to make way for the establishment of the State of Israel as a Jewish State. Consequently, Palestinians form the world’s largest refugee population today.

It is time that Israel and the international community recognise responsibility for the Nakba, uphold and implement the internationally sanctioned rights of the Palestinian refugees, and put an end to the ongoing suffering of the Palestinian people – whether those confined to refugee camps in the Middle East, dispersed around the world, unequal citizens of the State of Israel, or struggling under Israel’s brutal occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Recognition involves restitution, measures to restore dignity and to uphold and preserve the rights of the Palestinian people. Recognition is necessary to create a viable peace and reconciliation.

The British government has a particular moral responsibility for its historical role in Palestine. Therefore, we, the undersigned, call upon the public to demand that the leaders of Britain and the international community insist that Israel: recognises its responsibility for the past injustices of the Nakba and the on-going Occupation; respects and implements UN Resolution 194; recognises the right of the Palestinian people to self determination and their right to live in equality in their homeland; and withdraws from the occupied Palestinian territories.”


Signed by:


Individuals

Ali Abunimah
Tariq Ali
Ghassan Abu Sitta
Prof Nadje Al-Ali
Omar Al-Qattan
Sawsan Asfari
Lord Ahmed
Abdel Bari Atwan
Dr Azmi Bishara
Haim Bresheeth
Nicholas Blincoe
Victoria Britain
Zaki Boulos
Dr Daphna Baram
Blu
Dr John Chalcraft
Jonathan Cook
Prof Robert Edwards
Robert Del Naja – Massive
Attack
Prof Izat Darwazeh
Selma Dabbagh
Chris Davies MEP
Mark Elf
Bella Freud
Jane Frere
Baroness Jenny Tonge
Jocelyn Jerome
Fred Jerome
Prof Khalil Hindi
Abe Hayeem
Hans Haenlein
Julia Helou
Khaled Hroub
Manuel Hassassian
Dr Tikva Honig-Parnass
Andrew Innes – Primal
Scream
Rose Issa
Dr Brian Iddon MP
Nigel Kennedy
Adah Kay
Peter Kennard
Dr Ghada Karmi
Alisa Klein
Ken Loach
Flora Laham
Mike Leigh
Dr Caroline Lucas MEP
Prof Dina Matar
Prof Moshe Machover
Daniel Machover
Ms C.A. Macintosh
Dr Karim Makdisi
John Murray
Dr Karma Nabulsi
Kate Nielson
Alex Paterson – The Orb
Prof Ilan Pappe
Harold Pinter
Monika Pampus
Prof Nadim Rouhana
Mr and Mrs Rafoul
Neville Rigby
Constancia Dinky-Romilly
Ahdaf Soueif
SAM3
Karl Sabbagh
Prof Richard Seaford
Hazel Strouts
Eyal Sivan
Souheil Sleiman
Leila Sansour
Mark Thomas
Archbishop Desmond Tutu
Gee Vaucher
Roger Waters
Emma Williams
Jacob Weisz
Derek Wall
Mark Zaitoun

Organisations
Al-Awda Coalition UK
ABCD- Action around
Bethlehem Children with
Disability
Architects & Planners for
Justice in Palestine (APJP)
Art School Palestine
BADIL Resource Center for
Palestinian Residency &
Refugee Rights
BRICUB – British Committee
for the Universities of
Palestine
British Muslim Initiative
Friends of Al-Aqsa
LSE SU Palestine Society
Maraya Association
Neturei Karta – Jews Against
Zionism
One State Group
Palestine Film Foundation
Palestine Solidarity
Campaign
Ireland Palestine Solidarity
Campaign
Palestinian Forum in Britain
Palestine Return Centre
Raffoul Darrer
Architects Limited
SOAS Palestine Society
The Association of
Palestinian Community
– London
Zaytouna
Zochrot





Contact:
Awatef Sheikh (Coordinator, Nakba60 Campaign) on 07726 452 525
Nadine El-Hadi (Committee Member, Nakba60 Campaign) on 07931 730 965
Email:  statement@nakba60.org.uk

For more information about Nakba60 visit: www.nakba60.org.uk