LONDON

A group of over 400 cultural figures urged the British government on Monday to step back from its intention to ban the Palestine Action group and to "stop arming Israel."

It made the appeal in an open letter signed by leading artists including musicians Paul Weller, Massive Attack's Robert del Naja, Brian Eno and US artist Reggie Watts.

"Palestine Action is intervening to stop a genocide. It is acting to save life. We deplore the government’s decision to proscribe it," said the letter from Artists for Palestine UK.

The artists noted that labeling non-violent direct action as terrorism is "an abuse of language and an attack on democracy."

"The real threat to the life of the nation comes not from Palestine Action but from the home secretary’s efforts to ban it," they added.

The letter concluded with the artists calling on the government to withdraw its decision to ban Palestine Action and "to stop arming Israel."

Last week, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper announced her intention to proscribe Palestine Action, a UK-based group that aims to disrupt the operations of weapons manufacturers supplying the Israeli government.

It comes after activists from the group broke into RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire and damaged two aircraft on June 20 in protest against the UK's support for Israel and its attacks on the Gaza Strip.

Cooper said she would do so under the Terrorism Act -- a move that would make it illegal to be a member of or invite support for Palestine Action.

Hundreds of people gathered in central Trafalgar Square on the same day to express support for Palestine Action amid reports suggesting the group will be added to the terror list.

In a statement, a spokesperson for Artists for Palestine UK said: "Never before has a decision like this been challenged so immediately by artists and so widely across the country."

"If the Government persists with this ban, it will face anger and opposition on a massive scale," it added.