حركة سامية = האיחוד השמי= The Semitic Union

A new concept for an old conflict

A Semitic (Arab-Jewish) movement to found a confederation of nations and states in Palestine-Israel.

We know each of the conflict's parties has its own different narratives of the situation, however, we still believe these can co-exist. We should listen to these narratives and try to understand where they derive from, try to put ourselves in the place of the other.

Ways must be found to bring the two narratives together, rather than let them contradict one another.

Above all it is our responsibility to formulate the narrative for the next generation.

For decades many efforts have been made to establish a peace process between the Jews and the Arabs in Palestine-Israel.

The Saint James convention, which took place in 1939 under British patronage, attempted to facilitate negotiation between the Israeli-Jewish and Palestinian-Arab delegations, following the partition plan proposed by the Peel Commission. The convention dealt with the subject of dividing the land as initially suggested in 1937 by the Peel commission. At the time the two sides couldn't come to an agreement and therefore the British tried to make them sit down at a round table conference. The British proposed to the Jews and Arabs around the negotiation table, to divide the western part of the mandatory Palestine-Israel (between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean sea) into two national entities: a Jewish state and an Arab state. The territory east of the Jordan River was allocated to the Hashemite royal dynasty by the British already in 1922. The proposal wasn't accepted by neither of the sides. In both sides there were attempts at failing the negotiation, as well as powers which wanted to reach an agreement.

By 1948 two independent states were declared: Israel and Jordan. A third state, the Palestinian is yet to be established.

To this day in fact the spirit of the partition plans has not been realized. Among other factors, it was difficult to divide such a small territory, without a natural border, between two hostile nations, whose populations are so intermixed.

What can be done?

In our opinion the problem can only be solved by mending the historical error of dividing Palestine-Israel into tiny and completely separated states. We suggest renewing the idea of creating a confederation of nations and states in the area, which will be composed of three entities:

1. The state of Israel
2. The state of Palestine – now the Palestinian authority
3. The kingdom of Jordan

The general geopolitical situation will be improved by this solution, as the national and administrative organization of all the confederation's members will be kept and the addition of the confederation will bring about a coordinated foreign policy as well as coordinated security and economic systems.

In the realm of internal politics, the confederation's members will respect the preservation of the national institutes. The issues in debate (including territorial disputes, the refugee question and the status of Jerusalem as the capital of the confederation) will be dealt with in rational and just ways on the institutional level of the confederation, until a compromise is reached.

Taking into consideration that the populations of the confederation's members are sensitive to national and religious issues, it will be appropriate to assign executive duties in the Jewish part of the confederation to the Jewish authorities, both administrative and military, and in the Palestinian and Jordanian parts of the confederation, to the parallel authorities.

A confederate parliament and court would have to be established, and in the future also an executive system in which each of the members will have veto rights.

The confederation can be a solution to problems, which nowadays seem irresolvable.

We are not naive, we are well aware of the magnitude of the challenges which all sides will have to face on the way to implement this idea. It would surely meet with certain resistance, but we wish to prevent the continuation of the present status quo, avoid the conversion of the conflict into an outright general war and to bring to a halt the radicalization and fundamentalist zeal on both sides.

In the proposed confederation

The joint strength will be more than the sum of its components.

We call for a search, to begin already, of areas in which cooperation can be promoted. For example: transportation, healthcare system, tourism, protection of the environment, academic studies, water desalination, saving the Dead Sea, etc.

We consider this proposed plan to solve the conflicts in the Middle East as realistic and sustainable. This approach has enabled the resolution of conflicts in Europe, which grew and threatened the continent for hundreds of years, by creating the European community. The time has come for the nations of this area to become the masters of their destinies. We have certainly been inspired by the European model.

This letter is being presented with all due respect to all the people who have dreamt the idea of a confederation in the past, among them already in the 1950's, Josef Abilea, Ibrahim Sma'an and others.

We have formed a joint movement, Arab and Jewish with the intention of enabling the nations of this area to realize both their ambition for sovereignty and their bond to their home-land. Our movement wishes to absorb a wide range of people from the left and the right wings, from different religions and beliefs, with rational and practical cooperation for a life of mutual respect in abundance and security as their common base.

Our movement will promote:

• Publication and implementation of the idea among the leaders of our nations and those who influence the public opinion in the area and around the world.
• Development of joint initiatives which will show our people and nations worldwide, that we practically take hold of our joint destiny.