The 'Homeland for All' Movement at the United Nations: A Call for a New Political Horizon for the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict

New York - Afaq News - A delegation from the "Homeland for All" movement concluded a series of high-level diplomatic meetings on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly week, during which they urged European and international leaders to move beyond the crisis management approach that has characterized international dealings with the Palestinian issue for many years, and to restore the political horizon to the forefront of the international agenda.

The delegation met with the EU's foreign policy chief, as well as the foreign ministers of Norway, Spain, France, and Denmark, in addition to members of the "Peace Council". The discussions addressed the catastrophic situation in the Gaza Strip, the escalating violence of settlers in the West Bank, the upcoming electoral entitlements for Palestinians and Israelis, and the absence of a serious and credible political path capable of ending the occupation and putting an end to the cycle of violence.

The delegation emphasized during its meetings that the current phase, despite its harshness, places the responsibility on the international community to transition from reaction to political action, and from merely managing the repercussions of the crisis to addressing its roots.

The visit culminated in an international seminar that lasted three days at the International Peace Institute in New York, with the participation of academics, researchers, and partners from Brown and New York Universities. The seminar discussed the "Homeland for All" proposal, which is based on establishing a confederation between two independent sovereign states, Palestine and Israel, that cooperate through joint institutions, addressing its political and legal foundations and opportunities for its implementation in light of the current reality.

In her opening speech, the Palestinian co-director of the movement, Dr. Rula Herdal, emphasized that the catastrophe in Gaza should not be treated as a natural disaster, stating: "It is the result of political circumstances, political decisions, and political power. Humanitarian work cannot wait for politics, but it also cannot be a substitute for it."

Herdal described what is happening in Gaza as a "humanitarian and moral failure," emphasizing that it is a shared failure borne by Palestinians and Israelis, Western and non-Western societies, and the entire international legal and humanitarian system. She pointed out that despite the ongoing international discussion about Gaza, little has been achieved in terms of political action, and there has only been limited improvement in the living conditions of people on the ground.

She added: "Perhaps this is precisely the moment when we need political imagination more than ever. We need a new political engineering." She concluded her speech by saying: "We still have the responsibility to imagine a different future, to prepare for it, and to work for it."