You report (10 December) President Macron’s comment that recent US moves on the status of Jerusalem are a threat to peace. They are much more than that. In recognising Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, Donald Trump seeks to achieve through a declaration what Israel has been trying to do for 50 years through force of arms: to erase Palestinians, as a political and cultural presence, from the life of their own city. The Palestinian people of Jerusalem are already subject to municipal discrimination at every level, and a creeping process of ethnic cleansing.

In addition to the continuing policy of house demolitions, in the last 15 years at least 35 Palestinian public institutions and NGOs in occupied East Jerusalem have been permanently or temporarily closed by the occupying forces.

Cultural institutions have been a particular target. At the same time, Israeli authorities and entrepreneurs have spent millions in clearing Palestinian neighbourhoods to create “heritage” projects that promote a myth of mono-ethnic urban identity, said to stretch back 3,000 years.

We reject Trump’s collusion with such racist manipulation and his disregard for international law. We deplore his readiness to crown the Israeli military conquest of East Jerusalem and his indifference to Palestinian rights. As artists and as citizens, we challenge the ignorance and inhumanity of these policies, and celebrate the resilience of Palestinians living under occupation.

Tunde Adebimpe Musician

Nick Broomfield Film director

Caryl Churchill Playwright

Julie Christie Actor

Molly Crabapple Writer and artist

Angela Davis Writer

Brian Eno Musician

Eve Ensler Playwright

Peter Gabriel Musician

Mona Hatoum Visual artist

Aki Kaurismaki Film director

AL Kennedy Writer

Hari Kunzru Writer

Mike Leigh Writer, director

Ken Loach Film director

Liz Lochhead Poet, playwright

Emel Mathlouthi Musician

Thurston Moore Musician

Maxine Peake Actor

Michael Rosen Poet

Mark Ruffalo Actor

James Schamus Screenwriter, producer, director

Gillian Slovo Writer

Ahdaf Soueif Writer

Juliet Stevenson Actor

Tilda Swinton Actor

Marina Warner Writer

Roger Waters Musician

Vivienne Westwood Fashion designer

Robert Wyatt Musician

A longer list of signatories is available here

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• This article was amended on 12 December 2017 to correct the spelling of Nick Broomfield’s name.