Hollywood visits Israel

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JERUSALEM, Nov. 17 (UPI) -- Hollywood film directors, scriptwriters and actors are visiting Israel to learn about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and meet Israeli and Palestinian leaders.

During their visit, they met senior Israeli and Palestinian officials, Haaretz said Thursday.

The groups also traveled to the southern Israeli town of Sderot, the target of rocket barrages from Gaza, and visited the Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum in Jerusalem, an absorption center for Ethiopian immigrants and the West Bank city of Ramallah, the newspaper said.

Tim Daly is leading the actors delegation, which includes Emmy award winner Joe Pantoliano ("The Sopranos"), Steven Weber ("Brothers and Sisters"), Andrea Bowen ("Desperate Housewives") and Giancarlo Esposito ("Once Upon a Time"), Haaretz said.

Marta Kauffman, one of the creators of the television series "Friends," and Nina Tassler, head of the CBS television network entertainment division, are among those in the second delegation, the paper said.

The Hollywood delegation met Tuesday with Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad and met Thursday with Israeli President Shimon Peres. They are also expected to meet Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, the paper said.