The middle east and north africa in world politics, a documentary record. As foreign secretary in the lloyd george ministry, he issued the balfour declaration in 1917 on behalf of the. T oday we mark the centenary of the calamitous balfour declaration. Video of discussion between avi shlaim and shlomo sand. How zionist leaders held britain to its promise of a jewish national home. In the decades following the declaration, weizmann certainly revelled in the adulation of britains political and. Balfour declaration 1926 page 4 of 14 defined by the government of india act, 1919. Avi shlaim, one of the worlds foremost experts on the israelpalestine conflict, reflects with characteristic rigour and readability on a range of key issues and personalities. How the publisher of the guardian helped bring about the balfour declaration. Lets begin this weeks eye of prophecy post with a quote concerning the enormous significance of the balfour declaration of 1917 in italics at that time, the balfour declaration was the single greatest event in history since the tragic dispersion of the jews from israel when the romans destroyed jerusalem and the temple. The balfour declaration made clear that supporting jewish rights did not preclude the rights and liberties of the arab side. Table of contentscommentarycongressional endorsement the british government decided to endorse the establishment of a jewish home in palestine.
The issuance of the declaration had many long lasting consequences, and was a key moment in the lead. Zionism, antisemitism, and the balfour declaration, gilbert achcar is professor of development studies at soas, chair. Personalities, politics and culture in britain, london, i. In fact, british zionists prepared drafts of the statement for the consideration of the british government. Nov 02, 2017 this balfour declaration promised to support the establishment in palestine of a national home for the jewish people, so long as that did not prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing nonjewish communities there.
The balfour declaration was the british governments pledge to help the jewish community build a national home in palestine and took the form of a letter penned on 2 november 1917 by british foreign minister lord balfour to lord rothschild, then serving bicom briefing the balfour declaration. 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. The 100 th anniversary is an opportune moment to revisit the role played by chaim weizmann, zionist statesman par excellence, in the decision by the british government to issue the balfour declaration in november 1917. For jews, what grew from the seed of the balfour declaration has been in so many ways an astounding miracle. Nov 02, 2017 the balfour declaration was a public statement issued by the british government during world war one announcing its support for the establishment of a national home for the jewish people in. A century on from balfour, i challenge britain to finally do. May 23, 2016 the balfour declaration, finally incorporated into the sevres peace treaty, the terms that would begin bringing gods chosen people back into the land as a nation. London the balfour declaration was short 67 words but the letter sent 100 years ago thursday from britains foreign secretary to the head of an influential jewish banking family has. On the 100th anniversary of the balfour declaration, mei examines the impact this short letter had on the region and how it set the israelipalistinian conflict in motion. Christians and the balfour declaration a free leaflet for download or print orders. The balfour declaration recognized not only the inalienable rights of the jewish people, but it also stipulated that nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing nonjewish communities in palestine. Background to the declaration the balfour declaration was the jewish. 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 was a single sentence of 67 words, which contained two important pledges and. Nov 02, 2017 the balfour declaration determined british policy under the league of nations mandate, which ultimately facilitated the ethnic cleansing of palestine. It was issued to baron walter rothschild, a leader of the british jewish community. Listen to prof avi shlaim from oxford explaining some background on balfour declaration. It was the cornerstone of the zionist project to transform arab palestine into a jewish state. Arthur james balfour, 1st earl of balfour, kg, om, pc, frs, fba, dl. The men who sired it were christian and zionist and, in many cases, antisemitic. The balfour declaration the origins of the arabisraeli conflict. I write as someone who served loyally in the israeli army in the mid1960s and who has never questioned the legitimacy of the state of israel within its pre1967 borders. 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 november 2nd, 1917.
The balfour declaration is not something to be celebrated certainly not while one of the peoples affected continues to suffer such injustice. Estaban, who was born into a family with power and is now considered part of the highest group based on his ascribed status o c. Avi shlaim is emeritus professor of international relations at st antonys college, oxford. The declaration was prepared after extensive consultation with zionists. The forgotten truth about the balfour declaration martin. Let avi shlaim compress the consequences of the balfour declaration into its devastation of the palestinian people. The balfour declaration led the league of nations to entrust the united kingdom with the palestine mandate in 1922. A hundred years ago today, while world war i was raging and no one knew which side would win, the british government, led by prime minister david lloyd george, released a declaration bearing the name of arthur balfour, the foreign secretary.
Nov 01, 2017 the balfour declaration is not something to be celebrated certainly not while one of the peoples affected continues to suffer such injustice. This video is a promotional teaser for the balfour conference where avi with another 8 top scholars are. Fathom balfour 100 chaim weizmann, the guardian and the. The balfour declaration was discussed at the 1919 paris peace conference and again when the future of the middle east was ratified in the 1920 san remo treaty. The balfour declaration and its consequences by avi shlaim posted on january 4, 2012 by admin o ccasionally there are topics that have been written about at such length that it helps to clear the air, or to establish the vantage point from which i intend to consider my subject. The author revisits the making of the 1917 balfour declaration, and demonstrates that the lloyd george government only issued it after receiving the prior approval of other allied governments. Jun 11, 2018 the balfour declaration was a november 2, 1917 letter from british foreign secretary arthur james balfour to lord rothschild that made public the british support of a jewish homeland in palestine. This is the best that academic political history gets.
Fathom balfour 100 chaim weizmann, the guardian and. The balfour declaration an early step toward the creation of the nationstate of israel occurred in 1917, during world war i. Support for a jewish homeland was offered by the a. Dear lord rothschild, i have much pleasure in conveying to you, on. On november 2, 1917, james balfour, the british foreign secretary, issued what became known as the balfour declaration. The declaration came in a letter that british foreign secretary arthur james balfour sent to lord rothschild lionel walter rothschild, the honorary president of the zionist federation of great. Report on the balfour declaration in the times of london, 9 november 1917. It declared the united kingdom and the dominions to be. Jan 04, 2012 the british were not guided by strategic considerations and there was no orderly decisionmaking process. Although the balfour declaration was essentially a political expression of intent by a wartime government with many strategic needs to balance, few are aware of the part played by evangelical christian beliefs of the time in the events that led up to the letter being written. Nov 02, 2017 t oday we mark the centenary of the calamitous balfour declaration. Oct 26, 2017 listen to prof avi shlaim from oxford explaining some background on balfour declaration. Today marks the 100year anniversary of the balfour declaration, the statement that put the weight of the british empire behind the establishment of a. The declaration also said that britain supported plans for a jewish homeland in palestine.
This balfour declaration promised to support the establishment in palestine of a national home for the jewish people, so long as that did not. Oct 27, 2017 this video explores the factors that led jewish leaders in the beginning of the 20th century to seek support for the zionist movement from britains government. Royal albert hall performers balfour 100 has been privileged to work with a group of highly professionals and enthusiastic performers, who were a delight to include in our programme. The balfour declaration of 1926, issued by the 1926 imperial conference of british empire leaders in london, was named after lord president of the council and former prime minister of the united kingdom arthur balfour.
Balfour declaration of 1917 simple english wikipedia. In arabic there is a saying that something that starts crooked, remains crooked. The declaration accepted the growing political and diplomatic independence of the dominions in the years after world war i. While most people with basic knowledge about the conflict. Nov 02, 2017 london the balfour declaration was short 67 words but the letter sent 100 years ago thursday from britains foreign secretary to the head of an influential jewish banking family has. Establishing the state of israel in may 1948 involved a monumental injustice to the palestinians. The role of zionist diplomat nahum sokolow is given particular attention. At the time, britain was eager to win jewish support for its war goals and for a british takeover of palestine from the ottoman empire.
What is the balfour declaration of 1917, how is it linked to. The creation of a homeland for one people resulted. Now the entire fascinating story of the document is revealed in this impressive work of modern history. In similar vein, throughout the decades, the zionist dream encompassed respect for and coexistence with all people in the region, including the palestinian arabs. The british government decided to endorse the establishment of a jewish home in palestine. The balfour declaration, one century after this event is archived. Its an unimpressive piece of paper, just one page of doublespaced typescript, headed foreign office november 2nd, 1917 and signed in black ink with a scratchy pen by arthur james balfour. Here he discusses the background and implications of the historic balfour declaration of november 1917. Its also one of the prize possessions of the british library. The letter was published a week later in the times.
Chaired by jacqueline rose at the frontline club, london, 12 november 2009. The british were not guided by strategic considerations and there was no orderly decisionmaking process. And then when the british issued their outline for how palestine would be governed, the contents of the balfour declaration were found in the league of nations july 1922 ratification. We would, nevertheless, recall that by resolution ix of the imperial war conference, 1917, due recognition was given to the important position held by india in the british commonwealth. For the arabs, the balfour declaration was perceived as an act of dishonesty, as the cooperation that had been going on between arabs and the british during the world war 1, in the hijaz region against ottoman supremacy, had involved a promise of help to establish a united arab country, reaching from the red sea to the persian gulf. The declaration was contained in a letter dated 2 november 1917 from the united kingdoms foreign secretary arthur. Thus, by a stroke of the imperial pen, the promised land became twicepromised.
After discussions within the cabinet and consultations with jewish leaders, the decision was made public in a letter from british foreign secretary lord arthur james balfour to lord walter rothschild. O nehundred years ago today, the famousor infamousbalfour declaration was issued by the government of great britain. The life of king hussein in war and peace, 2008, etc. The 1917 balfour declaration is widely regarded as one of the most. The balfour declaration was a public statement issued by the british government during world war one announcing its support for the establishment of a. The balfour declaration and the jewish threat that made britain honor it. The balfour declaration and its consequences in louis, wm. The balfour declaration was the first major political triumph of zionism and the culmination of jewish independent political activity until that time. The reason history came to believe that britain unilaterally issued the balfour declaration was because the international support for it was secured entirely by nahum sokolow whereas britains support was secured in part by weitzmann. In actuality, the balfour declaration was supported by all of the allied powers plus the vatican. The balfour declaration and its consequences by avi shlaim. The balfour declaration of 1917 my jewish learning. Issued in london in 1917, the balfour declaration was one of the key documents of the twentieth century. The balfour declaration and its consequences verso.
Britain must atone for the balfour declaration the guardian. The balfour declaration, november 1917 introduction one of the most important statements of british foreign policy of the twentieth century, the balfour declaration was no more than a short, vague letter that had no legal status. The balfour declaration this letter to lord rothschild, by the british foreign secretary arthur james balfour, was aimed at jewish support for the allies in the first world war. The declaration came in a letter that british foreign secretary arthur james balfour sent to lord rothschild lionel walter rothschild, the honorary. A century on from balfour, i challenge britain to finally. What is the balfour declaration of 1917, how is it linked. Balfour 100 we need to talk about the balfour declaration. The balfour declaration, itself, is a letter from the british government to lord walter rothschild declaring support for a jewish settlement in palestine.
The contents of this letter became known as the balfour declaration. The balfour declaration of 1917 was a policy by the government of the united kingdom to discuss the partitioning of the ottoman empire after world war i. From the 1917 balfour declaration to the failure of the oslo peace process, from the 1948 war to the 2008 invasion of gaza, israel and palestine places current events. We have listed here the websites of all of them, to enable you to find out more about them, follow their progress or book them for your own events. After discussions within the cabinet and consultations with jewish leaders, the decision was made public in a letter from british foreign secretary lord arthur james balfour to. The balfour declarations many questions the electronic. Nov 08, 2017 palestinian women protest the balfour declaration in the west bank city of nablus on 2 november 2017. The letter, known as the balfour declaration became the basis movement to create a jewish state in palestine. Apr 06, 2012 the balfour declaration the origins of the arabisraeli conflict. Ramel, who was captured during a war and is now considered property of one of the victors o d. Avi shlaim the balfour declaration by history hit podcast network published on 20171102t15. The document was signed by the british foreign secretary, arthur james balfour, november 2, 1917. 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 was a november 2, 1917 letter from british foreign secretary arthur james balfour to lord rothschild that made public the british support of a jewish homeland in palestine.
The only way to make sense of israels senseless war in gaza is through understanding the historical context. The issuance of the declaration had many long lasting consequences, and was a key moment in the leadup to the arabisraeli conflict, often referred to. Shlaim fba is a historian, emeritus professor of international relations at the university of oxford and fellow of the british academy. Unita, who served in the military and is now going to college with money provided by the government. Of the three wartime pledges, the most curious, and certainly the most controversial was the balfour declaration. The balfour declaration 2 november 1917 hurewitz, j. Ayman ameen apa images in their attempt to cleanse the newly invented europe from everything that was unchristian and therefore unwestern, enlightened europeans invented in the late 18th century what they called the eastern question and. Jonathan schneer anchor canada random house, toronto, 2012.
Here we present an essay by avi shlaim that examines the declaration and its historiography. What was the balfour declaration of 1917 and why is it. Balfour declaration of 1917 simple english wikipedia, the. Britains failure in palestine can be at least partly attributed to the balfour declaration for that was the original sin.
What became known as the balfour declaration was a single sentence of 67 words, which contained two important pledges and. Even by the standards of perfidious albion, this was an extraordinary tale of doubledealing and betrayal, a tale that continued to haunt britain throughout the thirty years of its rule in palestine. In 1917, with a few paragraphs and a stroke of his pen, the british foreign minister, lord balfour, unleashed historic forces. That short document its crucial paragraph contains 67 words laid the foundation of modern israel.
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