Federazione Levantina Subito!
That is the call that arose from the conference of Young European Federalists (JEF) that convened in Italy last month, a call for a Levantine Federation. JEF has more than 10,000 members organized in 250 regions in 37 European countries. The location chosen for the event was the tiny Italian island of Ventotene located 1.5 hrs by ferry, in the Tyrrhenian Sea, off the coast roughly between Rome and Naples, which gave birth to European federalist thought. In the middle of WW2, three communist prisoners incarcerated on the island by Italy’s fascist regime, Altiero Spinelli, Ernesto Rossi and Eugenio Colorni wrote a manifesto that called for the federalization of Europe to prevent future wars. That aim hasn’t been achieved yet even in Europe, but JEF is working on it.
This year, on the background of the war in Gaza, the organizers of the annual event invited seven Palestinians and seven Israelis, both from Palestine/Israel and from Europe, to participate in the framework of a federalist peace forum and jointly with the European participants work on a declaration that would be meaningful for Israel-Palestine.
The joint declaration was formulated after an exhausting series of workshops and meetings where Israel-Palestinian relations were discussed in formal and informal settings. Similarly, the interactions with the European Union were discussed among the young participants and separately, among the more senior “experts” including me. On several occasions the groups mingled to obtain maximum mutual inspiration. Surprisingly, despite the violent backdrop to the event, the ongoing fighting and severe humanitarian crisis in Gaza, Palestinians and Israelis got along well with each other, much as the result of the careful preparation of the event by the more than capable JEF staff.
And suprise, surprise, when the time came to write a manifesto, they came up with a call for federation, not before calling for recognition of a Palestinian state to even out the playing field. Following below, in bold, is the manifesto which passed unanimously and was presented to the Italian Senate:
We, young Palestinians and Israelis, endorsers of federalist principles, together with our European allies, recognizing the deep historical and national connection that both our peoples have with their shared land—and acknowledging the undeniable reality that neither national group will cease to exist as a collective identity—declare the following:
We call for an immediate end of Israel’s war on Gaza which entails, but is not limited to, the following measures:
– return of all remaining hostages;
– the full reconstruction of the Gaza strip in a manner that ensures the material wellbeing of its residents;
– the dismantling of all armed groups operating outside of officially recognized structures, such as Hamas, in order to allow for a civilian autonomous government in Gaza where human dignity prevails.
In this context, we condemn:
* The Israeli government, for prolonging the war, causing mass civilian deaths in Gaza, and contributing to the humanitarian crisis and starvation in Gaza. For its continued occupation of the West Bank and the failing to prevent settler violence against local Palestinian communities; for the mass arbitrary and illegal administrative detention of Palestinians in its prisons; and for its de-facto annexation steps.
* Hamas and its allies, for the brutal October 7th attacks involving mass killings and kidnappings of Israeli and Foreign civilians; for their continued rejection of Israel’s existence supported by deadly actions for its destruction; for prolonging the war for political purposes; and for their role in deepening the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
We recognize the right of both parties for national self-determination, which entails the full recognition of the State of Palestine and an immediate end of the occupation.
Toward a Federal Political Framework between Israel and Palestine
We demand a federal political framework with both parties. In this framework, all the entities will be organized in a federative structure with Jerusalem as the joint capital. This federal framework can be extended to the wider Levante.
The federal framework will be made up of joint democratic institutions including a federal government, parliament and court of justice. A joint central bank will ensure the monetary policy of a common currency.
The federal political framework will have a joint army, with equal representation. A joint security council with veto power for both parties will ensure a coherent foreign policy.
Within the federal political framework there will be no physical internal borders and guaranteed freedom of movement. The external borders are agreed upon by both parties according to international norms and jointly guarded.
The European Union will act as a third-party impartial arbiter in order to ensure the federal political framework and the required operational trust.
The federal political framework will be established according to a binding roadmap of three years. In the case of non-respect of the roadmap proportionate financial penalties will apply.
The federal political framework will ensure equal rights for equal citizens, the right to a life in safety for all, freedom of movement for all the people in the land and freedom of religion, including respect for the holy sites which have to be accessible to the faithful.
It will furthermore ensure a just solution for the Palestinian refugees, including the right for both parties to come and live everywhere in the federal entities.
As young Israelis and Palestinians, together with our European allies, we therefore commit to jointly work toward the goals outlined above and to organize a federalist movement for a just and lasting peace in our shared land underpinned by a constitutional commitment to equal rights and human dignity.
The people attending the conference appeared grateful that the mindless, endless, and judging by the outcome so far, also useless calls for a 2 state solution were finally replaced by something creative – something that not only could work but also would inspire the players on both sides and their peoples to finally seek a visionary way out of the current quagmire.
Who in Israel and Palestine, other than the NGOs that participated in the conference, will pick up the gauntlet to advance a truly inspired way out of our conflict and call for a Federation?