The balfour declaration laid the foundation for jewisharab enmity that is now posing a major threat to the world peace. Terms in this set 11 britain issues the balfour declaration. Sanderss book the high walls of jerusalem new york, 1983, weizmann also. Bernard regans the balfour declaration adds to this library, tending to be within an academic political presentation. In 1917 britain issued the balfour declaration, promising to support.
During my twenty years in the middle east, palestinian clashes were often blamed on britains balfour declaration, which, in 1917, recommended a palestinian homeland for jewish people. A century on from balfour, i challenge britain to finally do. The contested centenary of britains calamitous promise israel. That 1917 pledge known to posterity as the balfour declaration. The balfour declaration was a letter written by british foreign secretary arthur balfour to lionel walter rothschild, in which he expressed the british governments support for a jewish homeland. In britain itself opinions about the balfour declaration remained sharply divided long after the end of the palestine mandate. Cause zionist leader suggesting to sir arthur balfour the balfour declaration effects failure.
The balfour declaration the balfour declaration was a letter arthur balfour wrote to lionel walter rothschild and also a statement of british support for the establishment in palestine of a national home for the jewish people. Now the entire fascinating story of the document is revealed in this impressive work of modern history. In his acknowledgements, regan writes that his academic undertaking becomes a hopefully more accessible publication. Nov 02, 2017 t oday we mark the centenary of the calamitous balfour declaration. It specializes in the research, analysis, and monitor of issues pertaining to the dispersed. Great britains balfour declaration a century ago laid the groundwork for a zionist state in the middle east and led to the purging of millions of palestinians from what became israel, a. During 1923, the british made one further attempt to settle outstanding issues with hussein and once again, the attempt foundered, hussein continued in his refusal to recognize the balfour declaration or any of the mandates that he perceived as being his domain. The balfour declaration was a public pledge by britain, declaring its aim to establish a national home for the jewish people in palestine.
The balfour declaration was not proposed until the summer of 1917, well after the us had entered the war. From the theological point of view, the balfour declaration was even more significant than zionist activities in palestine at that time. In 1917, the balfour declaration committed the british to the it all sounds like such a wonderful and beneficent action from countries concerned about the future of those people in the diaspora. The balfour declaration was a letter written by british foreign secretary. He concludes that there was no machiavellian conspiracy. The balfour declaration was a public statement issued by the british government in 1917. Winner of the national jewish book award issued in london in 1917, the balfour declaration was one of the key documents of the twentieth century. How will we mark the centenary of the balfour declaration. To be concise, it was a political maneuver by the british, the ottoman empire and the arabs in an attempt to protect their own empires. May has praised the balfour declaration as one of the most important letters in history and pledged to mark its centenary with pride. Britain issues the balfour declaration 1995 octobernovember. Against the bloody backdrop of world war i, this book details the chronology of the perceptions and secret negotiations of british, french, arab, and jewish. Balfour declaration, november 2, 1917, statement of british support for the establishment in palestine of a national home for the jewish people. British antizionist jews reject the balfour declaration.
Balfour declaration, statement on november 2, 1917, of british. The congress denounced the actions of the british government and its. Browse the independents complete collection of articles and commentary on balfour declaration. The statement came in the form of a letter from britain s then foreign secretary, arthur balfour, addressed to lionel walter rothschild, a figurehead of the british jewish community. Britain s true motivation behind the balfour declaration and yet, in recent days, the attention that the balfour centenary has been receiving in london, in dozens of public events, discussions, forums and protests, as well as articles and broadcasts in the media, has surprised even many of those who were involved in organizing these events. The declaration, issued in the form of a letter signed by a. If britain had indeed promised a jewish national home as part of a plot engineered by mythical elders of zion, the balfour declaration would not have had to go through a tortuous process of revision. One hundred years later, britain is trying to perpetuate the injustice it has caused. By 1917, when the balfour declaration the declaration was published, zionism had crossparty support in britain as well as government backing in france, america, and other countries, while the pending defeat of the ottoman empire which had controlled that geographic area for the previous four hundred years provided an opportunity. Our readers rely on us for the most comprehensive, analytical coverage of news from the middle east, muslim countries, europe, and the united states. The infamous balfour declaration and the 1947 partition. Against the bloody backdrop of world war i, this book details the chronology of the perceptions and secret negotiations of british, french, arab, and jewish leaders and diplomats. The balfour declaration dated 2 november 1917 was a letter from the united kingdoms foreign secretary arthur james balfour to baron rothschild walter rothschild, 2nd baron rothschild, a leader of the british jewish community, for transmission to the zionist federation of great britain and ireland.
The balfour declaration, so called after the british foreign secretary lord arthur balfour, who published it on november 2, 1917, was one of the most portentous documents in world history, whose consequences are still being played out today and not only in the arabisraeli conflict. Bernard regan has produced a timely and well researched analysis of the balfour declaration of november 1917. Nov 03, 2017 the balfour declaration is an embarrassing reminder that a jewish state was the fruit of a transparently colonial project. She appears unfazed by how britain set in train a process that would deny palestinians their basic rights. According to the mandate system created by the versailles treaty of 1919, britain was entrusted with. Britains secret reassessment of the balfour declaration. The balfour declaration, as it came to be known, set in motion a series of events, entirely unforeseen by its authors, which shaped the modern world and continues to shape it. Britains true motivation behind the balfour declaration. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Issued on november 2, 1917 by great britain, the declaration gave international recognition to the zionist movement and promised them a jewish state in the land of palestine. Sixtyseven words 100 years of conflict is a concise account of the players, motivations, and setting for one of the most consequential letters of modern history. Jeffries argues cogently that the balfour declaration was used illegally by british officials as their guiding star when establishing and enforcing their rule in palestine both before and during the mandate. For the jews, it was a promisory note on which the british made good. The 1917 balfour declaration was a commitment made in the heat of battle as the british empire fought for its life.
Among the reasons the declaration was written as a letter to lord rothschild was also the consideration that the rothschild familys connections with jewish financiers in new york. Jul 28, 2016 maliki said the issue will remain pending until britain apologizes. The balfour declaration, issued through the continued efforts of chaim. Balfour declaration, statement on november 2, 1917, of british support for the establishment in palestine of a national home for jewish people. The letter began a process by which the international community came to embrace the idea of the establishment in palestine of a national home for the jewish. For more than 37 years, the washington report on middle east affairs has been essential reading for the nations most sophisticated populace. The balfour declarations century of turmoil consortiumnews. Britain issues the balfour declaration cause zionist leader suggesting to sir arthur balfour the balfour declaration effects failure.
This commitment was contained in the balfour declaration, a 1917 document of the british government. Bernard regan s the balfour declaration adds to this library, tending to be within an academic political presentation. The declaration stated unequivocally the british governments support for the establishment in palestine of a national home for the jewish people. Richard crossman argued passionately that balfour, lloyd george, and milner all felt under an obligation, in the moment of allied victory, to do something for oppressed world jewry. This year is the centennial of one of the most criminal acts in modern history. This declaration was important to the jewish people because it gave. More than 100 years since britains controversial pledge, here is everything you need to know about it.
Aug 22, 2010 the balfour declaration thus finds its place among a multitude of fruitless schemes and indulgent fantasies, except, of course, that in this case, surprisingly, the british by and large kept their. At the time, jews constituted 10% of palestines population. The main goal of the balfour declaration as far as britain was concerned was to reduce the opposition of the american jewish community to going to war on its side. United nations voted for a partition to make a palestinejewish state.
The palestinian lawsuit against the balfour declaration the. The balfour declaration washington report on middle east. It was made in a letter from arthur james balfour, the british foreign secretary, to lionel walter rothschild, 2nd baron rothschild of tring, a leader of the anglojewish community. With the 100th anniversary of the balfour declaration, a number of books have been published covering the topic in different ways. The balfour declaration, issued on 2 november 1917, was a short document which changed the course of history. And the best book about the balfour declaration is the. Britains promise to the zionists, antonius wrote in his 1938 book the. In 1917, with a few paragraphs and a stroke of his pen, the british foreign minister, lord balfour, unleashed historic forces. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means. Oct 30, 2019 the influence of the balfour declaration on the course of postwar events was immediate. The balfour declaration balfour s promise in arabic was a public pledge by britain in 1917 declaring its aim to establish a national home for the jewish people in palestine. All the latest breaking news on balfour declaration. Britain must atone for the balfour declaration the guardian.
Conceived against a backdrop of the first world war, its midwives were an extraordinary cast of diplomats, scholars, soldiers and spies, arab insurgents and zionist zealots. Resistance to occupation or terrorist acts such as the munich olympics massacre of 1972 made headlines. But the israelpalestine issue is far harder to deal with. The 1917 balfour declaration was a written correspondence between arthur balfour, the thenbritish foreign secretary, and walter. The origins of the arabisraeli conflict, jonathan schneer 78gsas, a professor of history at georgia tech who specializes in modern britain, has put together a mass of material to decipher how the british got themselves and many others into a longdrawn mess. This betrayed the sacred trust of civilisation that britain undertook towards the palestinian people to guide them to independence. The balfour declaration, which resulted in a significant upheaval in the lives of palestinians, was issued on november 2, 1917. Aug 01, 2011 winner of the national jewish book award issued in london in 1917, the balfour declaration was one of the key documents of the twentieth century. In fact, britain assisted the zionists as best it could, given the need. It committed britain to supporting the establishment in palestine of a national home for the. Hostility between palestinians and jews continued to grow. The balfour declaration empire, the mandate and resistance in palestine.
It committed the british government to support the establishment of a national home for the jewish people in palestine, provided nothing was done to prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing nonjewish communities in palestine. During my twenty years in the middle east, palestinian clashes were often blamed on britain s balfour declaration, which, in 1917, recommended a palestinian homeland for jewish people. The making of the balfour declaration palestinian return centre. Eighty years ago, the british governmentthrough international bankersbrokered away the land and the future of the people of palestine in order to create a national home for the jewish people. Balfour declaration great britain israel palestinians. The balfour declaration was a public statement issued by the british government in 1917 during the first world war announcing support for the establishment of a national home for the jewish people in palestine, then an ottoman region with a small minority jewish population. It was made in a letter from the british foreign secretary to a leader of the anglojewish community and was later included in the british mandate over palestine. The balfour declaration committed britain to promoting a jewish national home in palestine, a project being urged by the world zionist organization, a jewish group based in europe. Jul 11, 2017 issued in london in 1917, the balfour declaration was one of the key documents of the twentieth century. The balfour declaration is an embarrassing reminder that a jewish state was the fruit of a transparently colonial project. Nov 02, 2017 todaynovember 2, 2017great britain, israel, zionist jews across the planet and their supporters, will commemorate and celebrate the 100th anniversary of the balfour declaration, a major milestone in the international communitys recognition of the jewish peoples right to selfdetermination in the land of israel.