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