More than 20 Israeli leftists, including public figures, academicians and authors, recently signed a letter urging European leaders to recognize Palestinian statehood

More than 20 Israeli leftists, including public figures, academicians and authors, recently signed a letter urging European leaders to recognize Palestinian statehood, Israeli Ynet has learned.

The letter has been initiated by the Solidarity movement, which says that signatories include former Knesset Speaker Avraham Burg, former Foreign Ministry Director General Alon Liel, and former Ambassador to South Africa Ilan Baruch.

The academicians who signed the letter include Nobel laureate Professor aniel Kahneman and Israel Prize Winner Professor Avishai Margalit. Authors Nir Bar'am and Ronit Matalon also signed the petition.

“Given the mutual suspicions between the sides and current foot-dragging, a Palestinian declaration of independence is not just a right, but also a positive, constructive step in favor of both peoples,” the signatories say.

The petitioners say that as Israeli citizens they will support a Palestinian declaration of statehood based on the 1967 lines, with agreed-upon territorial swaps.

The signatories then urge the states of the world to declare their willingness to recognize an independent Palestinian state based on the above principles.