JERUSALEM (AP) — Prominent Israeli intellectuals and artists have come out in favor of creating a Palestinian state based on the 1967 line marking the West Bank, Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem.
The 47 signatories include 16 recipients of the Israel Prize, the country’s highest civilian honor. Among them are civil rights pioneer Shulamit Aloni, actress Hannah Marom and Holocaust historian Yehuda Bauer.
Their statement backs the Palestinian drive for recognition by the United Nations, in the absence of progress in peace talks with Israel. The Israeli government opposes the unilateral initiative.
The statement, released Wednesday, calls for an Israeli pullout from the West Bank. It says, “The complete end of occupation is a fundamental condition for the freedom of both peoples.”
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