Year XXXIX, Number 1, July 2026

Dvir Aviam Ezra

Member of the Executive Board of JEF Europe, co-chair of the Task Force on Global Federalism of JEF Europe, former Editor in Chief of The New Federalist, Lawyer.

Despite the outbreak of the war in the Middle East just the day before, the newly formed Israeli and Palestinian federalist groups – established with the support of the Federalist Peace Forum project – conducted an advocacy journey (and more) on March 2nd and 3rd, 2026, taking them to the heart of the European Union with various stops in Brussels. Participation, initially expected to include a dozen Middle Eastern federalists, was significantly reduced due to logistical issues caused by the Israeli-US attack on Iran and Lebanon. This aggression led to the closure of airspace in many countries of the region and the cancellation of numerous flights. Nevertheless, the event organizers decided to proceed as planned.

This aggression led to the closure of airspace in many countries across the region and the cancellation of numerous flights. Nevertheless, the event organizers decided to proceed as planned, in an attempt to boost motivation and hope in one of the darkest moments of our international order.

The three days in the heart of Europe followed the three main pillars of federalist activity in both Europe and the Middle Eastern region. The program included specific sessions tailored to different stakeholders: academics, policymakers, and civil society organizations.

The first session, focused on academic work, aimed to structure the "expert track" organized last September in Ventotene. At that time, the idea was to complement the first Federalist Peace Forum with Israelis and Palestinians by assembling a group of intellectuals, experts, and academics who could support activists in their political elaboration. Overall, the results were positive: many of the experts present in Ventotene also joined the event in Brussels. Thanks to extensive mapping and outreach efforts, the network was also expanded. The session was divided into four round tables, each addressing different aspects of federalism in this context: institutions, economy and climate, justice, and security. At the end, a practical workshop was organized with the goal of setting a roadmap for future engagement.

As an overall assessment of this session, it is clear that it holds significant potential and represents an important space for activists and intellectuals to exchange ideas and develop new perspectives. However, the lack of both economic and organizational resources remains a major challenge for the track. As a final objective, the meeting discussed the idea of forming a network of research centers or think tanks willing to move beyond the two-state solution. This proposal was widely accepted by participants and could be a great opportunity for federalists to lead the process. However, for the moment, there has been no follow-up, something the Task Force on Global Federalism in JEF Europe plans to address soon, with the support of all the people that might be available among federalist networks.

The second session, the most high-level of the event, featured the participation of policymakers and paved the way for many follow-up meetings led by the two local groups, with the mediation of JEF Europe. The session itself, sponsored by Vice President of the European Parliament Pina Picierno (S&D), was attended by other policymakers, including MEP Hanna Neumann (Greens), MEP Hildegard Neumann (EPP), and EU Ambassador to Palestine Alexandre Strutzmann. In the following days, the two groups held meetings with many other MEPs – mainly from Renew, S&D, and The Left, as well as with members of the Council (MaMa group) and the Commission. Additional meetings with Belgian policymakers and the Palestinian Embassy were also organized.

From the many high-level meetings, several conclusions can be drawn. First, the extreme interest shown by counterparts (unanimous across this heterogeneous group) demonstrated a hunger for new solutions. On a certain level, it is clear that the current situation and the solutions on the current political agendas are insufficient to resolve such a long-standing and complex crisis. That said, the dialogues revealed that the positions of different political parties and national origins remain very different and, at times, irreconcilable. It is notable that, at a time when a united and strong European voice in defense of international law and against all forms of occupation is urgently needed, European politicians (and societies, probably) remain deeply fragmented. This makes it very difficult to advocate for the united voice that, as federalists, we believe the EU should have.

In conclusion, while the political meetings were strategically important for our federalist counterparts in terms of visibility and support, JEF Europe, and all European federalists, shall reflect on the fact that we are still not sufficiently influential in setting or influencing a political agenda that must find a consensus among political forces, yet uncompromising on values and dignity.

The third session brought together around a dozen different civil society organizations (CSOs) present in Brussels. The main guest was the European Youth Forum, and the session's primary goal was to stress the importance of building networks among CSOs, including bridging the different networks of CSOs present around the world. For this reason, local networks such as ALLMEPP (online) and Land for All were also in attendance. During this moment of sharing experiences and ideas, it became clear that many challenges are shared, such as the increasing polarization of our societies or the efforts by far-right governments to cut youth funding. Once again, JEF Europe and its Task Force's conviction that the area of intervention for building bridges should not be limited to Europe's borders, proved crucial and yielded positive results and appreciation.

As a conclusion, the Brussels event was crucial for the growth of the group and the political project. Formally closing the first project funded by the Council of Europe, the two groups of local activists are now called to stand on their own, continuing the important work they are doing in their communities. From the beginning, as Europeans, we have a major goal: to support their activities and to channel their political messages toward our European institutions. The historical moment in which we are living compels us to increase our efforts in this direction.

What appears to be the end of the international system as we know it must lead federalists around the world to unite and grow, preparing for the challenges ahead. In this specific context, the Israeli general elections (2026) and the Palestinian presidential elections (2027) could be two important battlegrounds for the federalist cause. We hope to demonstrate that the community of people opposed to the current worldview of the governments in Tel Aviv and Washington is not a minority. Even in countries and cultures as different and divided as Israel, Palestine, or Lebanon, the current strategy, marked by war, occupation, forced displacement, and genocide, undertaken by Israel and the US, among others, in Iran, Palestine, Lebanon, and Syria, does not represent the will of the populations.

If we are convinced of this, federalists around the world should stand with oppressed peoples, striving to connect all political and social forces that oppose the aforementioned worldview. In doing so, we aim to reverse the trend and offer a genuine alternative.

It is clear that the challenge is immense, especially considering that federalism, like all transnational theories, must continually deconstruct and adapt itself to be applied in different geographical and cultural contexts. Yet, precisely because of our movement's awareness of this approach, and its farsighted, inclusive vision that embraces differences rather than excluding them, it could play the extremely needed role of bridging different experiences with shared values, allowing an alternative to emerge.