Tag Archives: Balfour Declaration

The Balfour Declaration

It is no exaggeration that the history of Israel/Palestine for the last hundred years has turned on the seminal Balfour Declaration of November 1917. Loved and loathed in equal measure, this was the letter that changed the future. The following … Continue reading

Posted in Balfour Declaration, Historical, Key Documents | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on The Balfour Declaration

The best book on the Balfour Declaration is…

Book Review: Palestine the Reality by J.M.N. Jeffries By John McHugo  Many people trying to get to grips with the Israel/Palestine conflict begin with the First World War and the contradictory promises Britain made at that time. These were pledges … Continue reading

Posted in Balfour Declaration, Book Reviews, Mandate Period, McMahon-Hussein Correspondence, Pre-Balfour Declaration | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on The best book on the Balfour Declaration is…

Book Review: The Balfour Declaration – Empire, the Mandate and Resistance in Palestine by Bernard Regan

by John McHugo In The Balfour Declaration: Empire, The Mandate and Resistance in Palestine, Bernard Regan shows us what Britain did (and what Britain thought it was doing) by issuing the Balfour Declaration, by incorporating it into the League of … Continue reading

Posted in Balfour Declaration, Book Reviews, Mandate Period, McMahon-Hussein Correspondence, Pre-Balfour Declaration, Zionism Debate | Tagged , | Comments Off on Book Review: The Balfour Declaration – Empire, the Mandate and Resistance in Palestine by Bernard Regan

Book Review: Legacy of Empire – Britain, Zionism and the Creation of Israel by Gardner Thompson

By Tim Llewellyn, Oct 10th 2019 “…[T]he Mandate has proved to be unworkable in practice…[and] the obligations undertaken by the two communities in Palestine have been shown to be irreconcilable.” (Ernest Bevin, British Foreign Secretary, in the House of Commons … Continue reading

Posted in Book Reviews, Mandate Period, Pre-Balfour Declaration, Zionism Debate | Tagged , | Comments Off on Book Review: Legacy of Empire – Britain, Zionism and the Creation of Israel by Gardner Thompson

Britain’s historic responsibility to the people of Palestine, Gaza and Israel

John McHugo Edited text of speech for the Balfour Project event The Tragedy of Gaza in Edinburgh 17 March 2018 My role is to explain why Britain carries a historic responsibility to the people of Palestine generally, to the people … Continue reading

Posted in Balfour Project viewpoint, Historical, Mandate Period, Pre-Balfour Declaration, Zionism Debate | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Britain’s historic responsibility to the people of Palestine, Gaza and Israel

Palestine and Britain: forgotten legacy of World War I that devastated the Middle East

By James Rodgers Rare photograph of the formal transfer of Jerusalem to British rule. For those of us of an age to have known only peace in Western Europe,the centenary of the end of World War I is a an … Continue reading

Posted in Balfour Declaration, Mandate Period | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Palestine and Britain: forgotten legacy of World War I that devastated the Middle East

Why the state of Palestine is an existential must for the security and viability of the state of Israel

 Ilan Baruch, Jerusalem, 23.7.2018    In his ground-breaking speech at the Bar-Ilan University (June 2009), shortly after his second term as PM had begun, Benjamin Netanyahu accentuated the Jewish narrative as the bedrock of Israel: 3500 years of bonding between … Continue reading

Posted in Current Positions, News | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Why the state of Palestine is an existential must for the security and viability of the state of Israel

Evangelicals, the Balfour Declaration and Zionism

By Roger Spooner When talking about the Balfour Declaration with a pastor from Bethlehem, he commented,’ the problems for the Palestinians didn’t start in 1917, they started in 1840′. Literal reading of the Bible which had developed in the 17th … Continue reading

Posted in Balfour Declaration, Christian Zionism, Current Positions, Evangelicals and Christian Zionism, Historical, Mandate Period, Pre-Balfour Declaration, Zionism Debate | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Evangelicals, the Balfour Declaration and Zionism

The Balfour Declaration, 2 November 1917: A Fateful Improbability

Centenary Lecture to the History Group, The Norfolk Club, 14 September 2017 by William Mathew It is argued here that only a special conjuncture of chance and short-term circumstance made it possible for an effective pro-Zionist policy to be successfully … Continue reading

Posted in Balfour Declaration, Current Positions, Pre-Balfour Declaration, Zionism Debate | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on The Balfour Declaration, 2 November 1917: A Fateful Improbability

Renewed call for justice and reconciliation in the Holy Land on the centenary of the Balfour Declaration

              Catholic and Anglican bishops today, 2 November 2017, called for justice and reconciliation in the Holy Land on the centenary of the Balfour Declaration. Bishop Declan Lang, Catholic bishop of Clifton and Bishop … Continue reading

Posted in Balfour Declaration | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Renewed call for justice and reconciliation in the Holy Land on the centenary of the Balfour Declaration

Memories Of The Future: On The Anniversary Of The Balfour Declaration

By His Royal Highness Prince El Hassan bin Talal Member of the Jordanian royal family “A historian can record what went wrong, but – in his feckless and unhelpful way – he’s not necessarily there to tell them how they … Continue reading

Posted in Balfour Declaration, Pre-Balfour Declaration | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Memories Of The Future: On The Anniversary Of The Balfour Declaration

Balfour Centenary Declaration

Israel/Palestine: Equal Rights The centenary of the Balfour Declaration is the time to reconcile peace with justice for both Israelis and Palestinians, consistent with the principle Britain claims as her own: equal rights for all under the law. Through the … Continue reading

Posted in Balfour Declaration, Historical | Tagged , | Comments Off on Balfour Centenary Declaration

Report of Britain’s Broken Promise: Time for a New Approach

NEW BOOKLET Britain’s broken promise: Time for a New Approach Extracts of speeches at the Balfour Centenary commemoration, Central Hall Westminster Act of acknowledgement and commitment Balfour Centenary Declaration Printed version can be bought here or downloaded here A video … Continue reading

Posted in Balfour Declaration, Resources | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Report of Britain’s Broken Promise: Time for a New Approach

Prominent Israelis call for recognition of Palestine

                                                                                    Jerusalem,  26.10.2017 BRITAIN’S BROKEN PROMISE: TIME FOR A NEW APPROACH The 1917 Balfour Declaration, issued by the British Empire at the height of its power, promised to help “facilitate the achievement” of a “national home for the Jewish … Continue reading

Posted in Balfour Declaration, Pre-Balfour Declaration | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Prominent Israelis call for recognition of Palestine

A calamitous promise

The Guardian’s Long Read of 17 October was headlined ‘Britain’s calamitous promise’. Author Ian Black writes ‘The brief document that bears Balfour’s name is seen as marking the beginning of what is today widely considered the world’s most intractable conflict.’ … Continue reading

Posted in Balfour Declaration | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on A calamitous promise

Calls for Acknowledgement of Britain’s Role

Nicholas Frayling in the Church Times: British responsibility for the contradictions in the Israeli-Palestinian dispute gives the UK a duty to right a wrong,  A policy of 1917 whose legacy needs addressing. Donald Macintyre in the Guardian Oct 13th ‘A … Continue reading

Posted in Balfour Declaration, Pre-Balfour Declaration | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Calls for Acknowledgement of Britain’s Role

The Balfour Declaration: 100 Years On.

At this 100th anniversary of the Balfour Declaration which arrives on November 2nd many  events, looking at the century of conflict the Declaration has lead to, are taking place around the country. One major one on October 31st at Methodist Central  … Continue reading

Posted in Balfour Declaration, Pre-Balfour Declaration | Tagged , | Comments Off on The Balfour Declaration: 100 Years On.

Different ways of seeing the Balfour Declaration – BBC Radio 4 “Sunday” 1st October 2017

“The BBC Radio Four ‘Sunday’ programme on October 1st included this very fair and balanced report on the forthcoming centenary of the Balfour Declaration.   Chris Rose from the Amos Trust, speaking about the unfulfilled promises to the Palestinian people, echoed … Continue reading

Posted in Balfour Declaration, News, Pre-Balfour Declaration, Zionism Debate | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Different ways of seeing the Balfour Declaration – BBC Radio 4 “Sunday” 1st October 2017

Book Review: Beyond the Balfour Declaration by Lord Leslie Turnberg

by John McHugo In Beyond the Balfour Declaration: The 100-Year Quest for Israeli-Palestinian Peace, (Biteback Publishing, 2017) Leslie Turnberg has tried to grapple with the difficult problem of achieving peace between Israelis and Palestinians. Turnberg is a Labour life peer. … Continue reading

Posted in Book Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Book Review: Beyond the Balfour Declaration by Lord Leslie Turnberg

Palestine 1917-2017: Reflections on a refugee’s story, my great-grandfather’s war diary and the legacy of Britain’s actions in Palestine.

Omah Amarah is 84 years old. From the amount of energy which sparks up as he gets started on his story you can sense his tale comes from the heart; this is no dry text book account of history we … Continue reading

Posted in Balfour Declaration, Mandate Period | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Palestine 1917-2017: Reflections on a refugee’s story, my great-grandfather’s war diary and the legacy of Britain’s actions in Palestine.

The 1929 Palestine Riots – A Conflicted Jewish Historiography by William M Mathew

Mathew compares the work of two Jewish historians on the long-term effects of the inter-communal violence and harsh response by British forces which rocked Palestine in 1929. Where their accounts overlap Mathew explores their markedly different approaches.Violence in Palestine in … Continue reading

Posted in Book Reviews, Mandate Period, Zionism Debate | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on The 1929 Palestine Riots – A Conflicted Jewish Historiography by William M Mathew

Book Review: Part II The 1929 Palestine Riots – A Conflicted Jewish Historiography by William M Mathew

IV: Commissions & Reports; White Paper & Letter These, 1929-31 – from Shaw and Hope Simpson to Passfield and MacDonald – have been cited in the opening paragraph above. Hillel Cohen`s approach is merely to list them, largely without comment. … Continue reading

Posted in Book Reviews, Mandate Period, Resources, Zionism Debate | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Book Review: Part II The 1929 Palestine Riots – A Conflicted Jewish Historiography by William M Mathew

The Balfour Declaration

It is no exaggeration that the history of Israel/Palestine for the last hundred years has turned on the seminal Balfour Declaration of November 1917. Loved and loathed in equal measure, this was the letter that changed the future. The following extract … Continue reading

Posted in Balfour Declaration, Historical, Pre-Balfour Declaration | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on The Balfour Declaration

Reclaiming the lost Jewish voices of the Balfour Declaration, by Robert Cohen

This article was part of Robert Cohen’s talk  at the Balfour Project conference,’How will we mark the centenary of the Balfour Declaration’ in Southwark Cathedral on November 5th 2016:   A leading British Rabbi has written: “Zionism and Zionistic activities not … Continue reading

Posted in Balfour Declaration, Past, Zionism Debate | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Reclaiming the lost Jewish voices of the Balfour Declaration, by Robert Cohen

Palestine and Britain 1917-1948: Competing Policies, Creative Commemoration

This talk was given at  the Balfour Project  conference in Southwark Cathedral  on 5th November 2016  entitled: ‘How will we mark the Centenary of the Balfour Declaration’ By Dr Peter Shambrook Context: it is only in the context of the … Continue reading

Posted in Balfour Declaration, Christian Zionism, Mandate Period, McMahon-Hussein Correspondence, Pre-Balfour Declaration, Zionism Debate | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Palestine and Britain 1917-1948: Competing Policies, Creative Commemoration

Balfour Declaration Centenary, 2017: towards constructive commemoration

‘I never knew that ……’ Liverpool Hope University 1st October 2016. The use of round tables in the Eden Arbour Room at Liverpool Hope University facilitated a welcome and a warmth to the buzz of conversation as participants in the … Continue reading

Posted in Past | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Balfour Declaration Centenary, 2017: towards constructive commemoration

The Mandate years: colonialism and the creation of Israel

Charles Glass, writing in the London Review of Books in 2001, reviewed two books looking at the period of the British Mandate in Palestine. Although written 22 years ago it touches on topics that are very little known in the … Continue reading

Posted in Book Reviews, Mandate Period, Zionism Debate | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on The Mandate years: colonialism and the creation of Israel

‘Britain in Palestine’ shown in UK Parliament

Parliamentarians from all four of Britain’s main political parties sponsored a showing of ‘Britain in Palestine, 1917-1948’ in The Attlee Suite – one of the main conference suites in the British Parliament. The audience of 130 watched the documentary, which … Continue reading

Posted in Balfour Declaration, Past, Pre-Balfour Declaration | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on ‘Britain in Palestine’ shown in UK Parliament

Britain in Palestine 1917-1948

Britain in Palestine 1917-1948 investigates the contradictory promises and actions which defined British Mandatory rule in Palestine and laid the groundwork for the Nakba (the catastrophe) and the creation of the state of Israel in 1948. The roots of the … Continue reading

Posted in Balfour Declaration, Films, News, Resources | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Britain in Palestine 1917-1948

Rescuing Balfour: Winston Churchill at the Colonial Office 1921-22, By William Mathew

                    Given the sheer improbability of the Balfour Declaration, its source in temporary war-time contingencies, its activation of inter-communal conflict in Palestine, and its exposure to increasing opposition both at home and in the Levant, the 1917 War Cabinet pledge … Continue reading

Posted in Balfour Declaration, McMahon-Hussein Correspondence | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Rescuing Balfour: Winston Churchill at the Colonial Office 1921-22, By William Mathew

Christian Zionism’s flawed vision of Israel, by Rabbi Dow Marmur

My dictionary defines Zionism as “a movement for the re-establishment of a Jewish national homeland and state in Palestine.” This was realized in May 1948 when the State of Israel was established. Many Jews are Zionists and committed to the … Continue reading

Posted in Christian Zionism, Zionism Debate | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Christian Zionism’s flawed vision of Israel, by Rabbi Dow Marmur

British policy and Arab Displacement in Palestine, 1915-23: Contingency. Imperialism and Double-Dealing

            By  William M. Mathew, Senior Fellow in History, University of East Anglia Lecture given as part of the Contemporary Middle East Lecture Programme,               School of Oriental and African Studies, 28 October 2014                                                      I I should begin by … Continue reading

Posted in Balfour Declaration, Current Positions, McMahon-Hussein Correspondence | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on British policy and Arab Displacement in Palestine, 1915-23: Contingency. Imperialism and Double-Dealing

The Balfour Declaration and UK recognition of the Palestinian State….

On Oct 13th 2014 British MPs voted in favour of recognising Palestine as a state alongside Israel. The House of Commons backed the move “as a contribution to securing a negotiated two-state solution” The full motion stated: “That this House … Continue reading

Posted in Balfour Declaration | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on The Balfour Declaration and UK recognition of the Palestinian State….

The Palestine Deception, 1915-1923, by William Mathew

In 2015, historian William Mathew published a book consisting of a series of articles from the Daily Mail of 1923. These presented a hitherto uninformed British readership  with details of official promises made to the Arabs in 1915-16 of post-war … Continue reading

Posted in Book Reviews, McMahon-Hussein Correspondence | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on The Palestine Deception, 1915-1923, by William Mathew

Perfidious Albion: Britain’s broken promises: the Balfour Declaration (1917) and its impact on the Israeli/Palestinian conflict: what are our responsibilities today?

This lecture was given by Professor Mary Grey in the URC Church, Crondall, Northumberland for their Peace and Reconciliation centre, 5th September 2014 Here in Northumberland, it is impossible to forget the bloodshed of the Battle of Flodden in 1513, … Continue reading

Posted in Contradictory Promises, Historical, McMahon-Hussein Correspondence | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Perfidious Albion: Britain’s broken promises: the Balfour Declaration (1917) and its impact on the Israeli/Palestinian conflict: what are our responsibilities today?

The Balfour Declaration – Key players and events by Mary Grey

Introduction – what motivated the Balfour Declaration?  (Powerpoint of Key Players) There is still conflict as to which motive for the Balfour Declaration is stronger – there are at least three motives, and some may interlock: 1. According to Avi … Continue reading

Posted in Balfour Declaration, McMahon-Hussein Correspondence, Pre-Balfour Declaration | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on The Balfour Declaration – Key players and events by Mary Grey

War cabinet minutes leading to the Balfour Declaration, 1917

On November 9th 1917 the Times published the minutes of the 4 War Cabinet meetings  where, what became known as the Balfour Declaration, was discussed. They had before them the document produced by the Zionist Organisation on July 18th 1917 … Continue reading

Posted in Historical, Pre-Balfour Declaration | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on War cabinet minutes leading to the Balfour Declaration, 1917

Contradictory Promises, by Peter A Shambrook

The seeds of 100 years of conflict Britain, the Arabs and the Jews, 1914 – 1918 2014 – 2018: Britain’s opportunity to acknowledge. In 2014, the centenary of the Great War will be marked in a variety of ways right … Continue reading

Posted in Pre-Balfour Declaration | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Contradictory Promises, by Peter A Shambrook

“Are we trapped by our own narratives?” by Tony Klug

Tony Klug, speaking at the Balfour Project conference in October 2013 spoke stirringly to the question “Are we trapped by our own narratives?” He began by demonstrating that everyone becomes a player in this seemingly intractable conflict, where what passes … Continue reading

Posted in Past | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on “Are we trapped by our own narratives?” by Tony Klug

Debating Palestine and Israel – Book review by Jeremy Moodey

Dan Cohn-Sherbok and Mary Grey, Debating Israel and Palestine, (Exeter, Impress Books, 2014). It was George Orwell who wrote in his book 1984, “Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past.” As with the … Continue reading

Posted in Book Reviews, Current Positions | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Debating Palestine and Israel – Book review by Jeremy Moodey

Britain’s legacy to the tortured Ottoman Empire

Selfish imperial agreements between Britain and France, combined with the publication of the contradictory Balfour Declaration of 1917, fuelled hostilities in the Middle East This article appeared in The Sunday Telegraph on 2 February 2013 Bad times ahead: Sir Edmund … Continue reading

Posted in Balfour Declaration | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Britain’s legacy to the tortured Ottoman Empire

Contradictory Promises

See also Contradictory Promises by Dr Peter Shambrook where these promises are explored in more detail. 1915  The McMahon-Hussein Correspondence, • In 1915 Britain promised the Arabs that after the war they would be granted independence in their lands, in … Continue reading

Posted in Historical | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Contradictory Promises

Britain’s Secret Re-Assessment of the Balfour Declaration. The Perfidy of Albion, by John Quigley

John Quigley* President’s Club Professor in Law, Moritz College of Law, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States of America From the Journal of the History of International Law Revue d’histoire du droit international Volume 13, Number 2, 2011 … Continue reading

Posted in Balfour Declaration, Mandate Period | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Britain’s Secret Re-Assessment of the Balfour Declaration. The Perfidy of Albion, by John Quigley

Healing the Wounds of History: Looking at the Balfour Declaration with New Eyes

Second annual Balfour Project conference to mark the 96th anniversary of the Balfour Declaration October 30th 2013

Posted in Events, Past | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Healing the Wounds of History: Looking at the Balfour Declaration with New Eyes

Powerful symbols and the British-Zionist alliance: approaching the centenary of the Balfour Declaration by Nur Masalha

  Masalha writes that as the centenary of the Balfour Declaration approaches it is timely for a reassessment of the impact of the statement and British policies towards Palestine and its indigenous people. The Declaration is commonly attributed incorrectly to … Continue reading

Posted in Balfour Declaration | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Powerful symbols and the British-Zionist alliance: approaching the centenary of the Balfour Declaration by Nur Masalha

Recommendations of the King Crane Commission

Below is a part of a preface to the publication of the King-Crane Commission Report, published in Editor & Publisher, V.55, No. 27, 2nd Section, December 2, 1922. This is followed by their recommendations on Syria and  particularly Zionism. The … Continue reading

Posted in Balfour Declaration, Historical, Key Documents | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Recommendations of the King Crane Commission

Wartime contingency and the Balfour Declaration of 1917 William Mathew: an Improbable Regression

Review by Mary Grey Although for many Jews this Declaration represented a dramatic re-entry of Jews into history, this article argues that it was more a regression than an advance. True, the  Balfour Declaration promised to protect the  civil and … Continue reading

Posted in Historical, Pre-Balfour Declaration | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Wartime contingency and the Balfour Declaration of 1917 William Mathew: an Improbable Regression

The Balfour Declaration and the Palestine Mandate, 1917–1923: British Imperialist Imperatives

By William M. Mathew ABSTRACT The article sets the Balfour Declaration of 1917 and the final confirmation of Britain’s Palestine Mandate in 1923 within the context of national imperial concerns: in particular, anxieties over the security of the Suez Canal … Continue reading

Posted in Balfour Declaration | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on The Balfour Declaration and the Palestine Mandate, 1917–1923: British Imperialist Imperatives

Evaluating the Balfour Declaration: Breaking the Deadlock in the Middle East

A one day conference exploring the different legacies of the Balfour Declaration and how a greater understanding of history can contribute to justice and peace in the Middle East today was held in Winchester University on May 18th 2013. Over … Continue reading

Posted in Balfour Declaration, Events, Past | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Evaluating the Balfour Declaration: Breaking the Deadlock in the Middle East

Balfour and Palestine, a legacy of deceit, by Anthony Nutting

Anthony Nutting resigned  from Anthony Eden’s government when he found Eden was going into Suez. Writing around 1975, he reflects on Doreen Ingram’s book “The Palestine Papers: 1917-1922: Seeds of Conflict”. The papers in this book made clear that during … Continue reading

Posted in Pre-Balfour Declaration | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Balfour and Palestine, a legacy of deceit, by Anthony Nutting