Holy Land: campaigners rally in support of both Israel and Palestine

Today at 5pm, on the eve of the UN debate on membership of Palestine in the UN, campaigners will hold a special event, opposite the building where the independence of Israel was proclaimed in 1948. Those gathered will express support for Israeli and international recognition of the Palestinian state. They will also state that 'he alternative to such recognition is going towards a new Masada.'

Among participants and speakers at the events, are academics, theologians, philosophers, former military, former diplomats and prize laureates. Participants will be invited to sign publicly the following manifesto:

Recognition of the Palestinian State - and then negotiations - rather than another Masada

In front of our very eyes, an insane drama is being acted out. The Prime Minister of Israel is leading his citizens to Masada.

Human morality, Jewish history and the interests of Israel - all clearly show the way to being the first state in the world to recognize, in the United Nations, our neighbor state and them to enter into negations, based on equality, regarding territorial exchanges and security arrangements. After all, the Palestinian State recognizes the State of Israel in the '67 borders.

The Jewish People arose in the Land of Israel, there they developed their identity. The Palestinian People arose in Palestine, there they developed their identity.

Therefore, we sincerely welcome the expected declaration of independence by the Palestinian State, Israel's neighbor, and within the borders at the time of our independence which were determined at the end of the War of Independence in 1949; the borders more commonly known as the '67 borders. This is the natural right of both the Jewish and the Palestinian people - as written in Israel's Declaration of Independence "to be masters of their own fate, like all other nations, in their own sovereign State".

The independence of both peoples strengthens one and the other, it is both a moral and basic necessity at one and, the same time, it is the foundation upon which good, neighborly relations are built.

We, the undersigned, call on all persons seeking peace and freedom, and upon all nations to join us in welcoming the Palestinian Declaration of Independence, to support it and to work and act together in order to encourage the citizens of both countries to live together in peace, based on the '67 borders and mutual agreement. A final and complete end to the occupation is a basic condition for the freedom of both peoples, for the realization of Israel's Declaration of Independence and a future of peaceful coexistence.

Initial list of signatories:

Larry Abramson, Artist and Prof. of the arts, Maj Gen (Ret.) Avraham Adan ("Bren"), former Commander of the Armored Corps,Prof Chaim Adler, Israel Prize laureate, Prof Joseph Agassi, Philosopher, Gila Almagor-Agmon, Israel Prize laureate, Shulamit Aloni, Israel Prize laureate, Prof Eva Illouz, Oriella Ben-Zvi, Prof Elie Barnavi, former Ambassador to France, Ilan Baruch, former Ambassador to South Africa, Prof Yehuda Bauer, Israel Prize laureate, Prof Haim Ben Shahar, former President of Tel Aviv University, Prof Miriam Ben-Peretz, Israel Prize laureate, Daniel Blatman, Head of the Department for Contemporary Judaism, Prof Menachem Brinker, Israel Prize laureate Dr Rafael Braun, Prof Judith Buber Agassi, Maj Gen (Ret) Nehemiah Dagan, former Chief Education Officer, Dr Yossi Dahan, Yael Dayan, former Member of Knesset Brig Gen (Ret) Prof Eran Dolev, Commander of Health Services, Prof Yehuda Elkana, former President of the Central European University, Brig Gen (Ret) Yitzchak Elron, former Military Attaché in South America, Prof Yaron Ezrahi, winner of the Political Science Society Award, Prof Menachem Fish, Yona Fischer, Israel Prize laureate, Ari Folman, Golden Globe laureate, Prof Haim Gans , ,Maj Gen (Ret) Shlomo Gazit, former Head of Military Intelligence, Chairman of the Jewish Agency and President of Ben Gurion University, Yair Garbuz, Emet Prize laureate, Moshe Gershuni, Israel Prize laureate, Prof Galia Golan, Prof Amiram Goldblum, Prof Naomi Graetz, Tal Gutfeld Prof Hanoch Gutfreund, former President of the Hebrew University, Tal Harris, CEO One Voice, Prof Galit Hasan-Rokem, Prof Ruth Hacohen, Lahav Halevy Prof David Harel, Israel Prize and Emet laureate, Dr Shmuel Harlap, Chairman of Colmobil Limited, Prof Naomi Chazan, former Knesset member, Yoram Kaniuk, Sapir Prize laureate Dani Karavan, Israel Prize laureate, Prof Avnet Katz, Prof Elihu Katz, Israel Prize laureate, Prof Yehoshua Kolodny, Israel Prize laureate, Ofer Lalush Alex Levac, Israel Prize laureate, Savyon Liebrecht, Dr Alon Liel, former Director General of Foreign Ministry Ram Loevy, Israel Prize laureate, Prof Avishai Margalit, Israel and Emet Prize laureate, Hanna Maron, Israel Prize laureate Sami Michael, Emet Prize laureate, Hillel Mitlepunkt Ohad Naharin, Israel laureate Jaz Naftali Amoz Oz, Israel Prize laureate Prof Dov Pekelman Michal Peleg, Izhar Petkin, Artist Prof Itamar Procaccia, Israel Prize laureate, Sefi Rachlevsky, expert on Jewish theology, Prof Gabi Salomon, Israel Prize laureate, Dr Aliza Savir, Prof Hillel Schocken, Prof Alice Shalvi, Israel Prize laureate Maj Gen (Ret.) Nathan Sharoni, President of Council of Peace and Security Prof David Shulman, Emet Prize laureate, Joshua Sobol, Theater Award laureate Prof Zeev Sternhell, Israel Prize laureate Prof Carlo Strenger David Tartakover, Israel Prize laureate Dan Tsur, Israel Prize laureate Prof Zeev Tzahor, President of Sapir College Micha Ullman, Israel Prize laureate Lia van Leer, Israel Prize laureate Prof Menahem Yaari, Israel Prize laureate, President (Emeritus) of the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities Dalia Yairi, Prof Yossi Yonah Prof Yirmiyahu Yovel, Israel Prize laureate Clil Zisaphel