The Hollywood Reporter reported Saturday that a group of some 190 Hollywood notables signed a pro-Israel petition. The group, which calls itself the Creative Community for Peace (CCFP), released the following statement last week:

We, the undersigned, are saddened by the devastating loss of life endured by Israelis and Palestinians in Gaza. We are pained by the suffering on both sides of the conflict and hope for a solution that brings peace to the region.

While we stand firm in our commitment to peace and justice, we must also stand firm against ideologies of hatred and genocide which are reflected in Hamas’ charter , Article 7 of which reads, “There is a Jew hiding behind me, come on and kill him!” The son of a Hamas founder has also commented about the true nature of Hamas.

Hamas cannot be allowed to rain rockets on Israeli cities , nor can it be allowed to hold its own people hostage . Hospitals are for healing, not for hiding weapons. Schools are for learning, not for launching missiles . Children are our hope, not our human shields.

Among the notables signing the statement are Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Kelsey Grammer all currently starring in The Expendables 3. Other stars include Ghostbusters director Ivan Reitman, Marvel Comics movie producer Avi Arad, comedians Sarah Silverman and Seth Rogen, Big Bang Theory actress Mayim Bialik, and entertainment mogul Haim Saban.

[Photo: Gage Skidmore / WikiCommons ]