The declaration also said that britain supported plans for a jewish homeland in palestine. The balfour declaration of 1917 history learning site. Zionist jews sanction to populate palestine the british government first had contact with the zionist movement 1 in 1902, but the first murmurings about the idea of the restoration of the jews to palestine had surfaced some 60 years earlier. The consequences of that letter, the balfour declaration of 1917, still reverberate around the world 99 years later.
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 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. Dear lord rothschild, i have much pleasure in conveying to you. The balfour declaration posted on november, 2016 by admin it is no exaggeration that the history of israelpalestine for the last hundred years has. The man in the shiny black top hat is rabbi yosef weinreb, the chief rabbi of toronto at the time. In this letter of 2 november 1917, britains foreign secretary, arthur balfour, wrote to. And the second position on the list may well go to the balfour. Balfour wrote the letter on 2 november 1917, amidst the first world war. The balfour declaration and the palestine mandate, 19171923. Government, the following declaration of sympathy with jewish zionists aspirations which has been. Balfour declaration of 1917 simple english wikipedia, the.
Rabbi stephen wise acted as an important intermediary to president woodrow wilson and colonel edward house from 19161919, when, with louis d. Lord lionel walter rothschild, as a figurehead of the jewish community in. It was assumed that the letter gave the british governments support to the creation of a jewish homeland. The balfour declaration was a statement of support made by the british government for the establishment of a national home for the jewish people in eretz yisrael. This article can be downloaded as pdf file, here t he balfour declaration was a statement of support made by the british government the war cabinet for the establishment of a national home for the jewish people in eretz yisrael. We ask great britain, as we approach 100 years since this infamous declaration, to draw. 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 led the league of nations to entrust the united kingdom with the palestine mandate in 1922. Foreign office november 2nd, 1917 dear lord rothschild, i have much pleasure in conveying to. On november 5, 1917, lord arthur james balfour, the foreign secretary of great britain who was also the prime minister during 190205 signed the death warrant of the palestinians by announcing the declaration that takes his name as the balfour declaration that paved the way to create the state of. The balfour declaration of 1917 my jewish learning.
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. The declaration was written in a world of competing imperial powers, in the midst of the first world war and in the twilight of the ottoman empire. The balfour declaration wis a single paragraph in a letter datit 2 november 1917 frae the unitit kinricks furrin secretar arthur james balfour tae walter rothschild, 2nt baron rothschild, a leader o the breetish jewish commonty, for transmission tae the zionist federation o great breetain an ireland. The balfour declaration 2 november 1917 hurewitz, j. The infamous balfour declaration and the 1947 partition. South africa and israels land grab with support of the british government the notorious land act of 19 deliberately impoverished the indigenous people of south africa by forcing them into unskilled labour on gold mines and. The content of the balfour d eclaration seems distant or downright ba. The balfour declaration was the first major political triumph of zionism and the culmination of jewish independent political activity until that time. The middle east and north africa in world politics, a documentary record. 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. 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 public statement issued by the british government in 1917 during world war i 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 balfour declaration was a short letter by arthur balfour to arguably one of the most influential jewish families the rothschilds.
The balfour declaration is an historic statement for which hmg her majestys government does not intend to apologize. Background to the declaration the balfour declaration was the jewish. Jews to a national home in palestine was to rebel against the inertia of. The balfour declaration from the perspective of the palestinian. In 1917, by contrast, proposing the recognition of the right of the. 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. Many jews were very helpful to the allied cause and probably the most helpful of these was a man named chaim weizmann. Sahar huneidi reexamines the historical context of the 1917 balfour declaration and argues that the document was a work of calculated ambiguity. The c ommitment to jewish homeland came more than a month before general edmund. It was sent in the format of a letter on november 2 nd 1917, written by british foreign secretary lord arthur james balfour and sent to lord lionel rothschild, a senior member of the. The balfour declaration, november 1917 the balfour project.
Nov 02, 2017 the declaration was made in a letter dated november 2, 1917, from the uks then foreign secretary arthur balfour to lord walter rothschild, a leader of the british jewish community. The balfour declaration, written as a letter on november 2, 1917, from british foreign secretary arthur balfour to british jewish leader baron lionel walter rothschild, pledged british support for. This outcome was the result not solely of the balfour declaration but also of a longstanding convoluted and opportunistic british middle eastern policy often at odds with. Jul 27, 2016 no one who follows the palestinian issue will be very surprised to hear of the call by mahmoud abbas to sue the british government over the balfour declaration of november 1917. Will palestinians sue britain over the balfour declaration of.
The declaration accepted the growing political and diplomatic independence of the dominions in the years after world war i. Many historians of zionism and israel view the declaration as part of political progression from herzls jewish state 1897, to the articles of the mandate 1922. The man in the shiny black top hat is rabbi yosef weinreb, the chief rabbi of. Library special balfour declaration, 1917 peace palace library. On november 5, 1917, lord arthur james balfour, the foreign secretary of great britain who was also the prime minister during 190205 signed the death warrant of the palestinians by announcing the declaration that takes his name as the balfour declaration that paved the way to create the state of israel on. But the zionists understood perfectly well that the allies would have to be consulted once more on the day of peace, and that palestine as a national home for the jews would be contested. Balfour declaration, statement on november 2, 1917, of british support for the establishment in palestine of a national home for jewish people. The issuance of the declaration had many long lasting consequences, and was a key moment in the lead.
In 1917 the balfour declaration was put into play, and was an agreement drafted by the british in attempt to create a jewish homeland in palestine. We are proud of our role in creating the state of israel. Balfour declaration war cabinet minutes appendix 17 october 1917. Brandeis and felix frankfurter, he helped formulate the text of the balfour declaration of 1917. Library special balfour declaration, 1917 on november 2, 1917, foreign secretary arthur james balfour wrote a letter to britains most illustrious jewish citizen, baron lionel walter rothschild, expressing the british governments support for a jewish homeland in palestine. Dear lord rothschild, i have much pleasure in conveying to you, on behalf of his majestys government, the following declaration of sympathy with jewish zionist aspirations which has been submitted to, and approved by, the cabinet. It committed britain to supporting the establishment in palestine of a national home for the jewish people, and its reverberations continue to be felt to this day. On november 2, 1917 a letter was delivered by hand from britains foreign secretary, lord balfour, to lionel walter, the second baron rothschild, at his home at 148 piccadilly, a prestigious.
May 26, 2015 the balfour declaration was a short letter by arthur balfour to arguably one of the most influential jewish families the rothschilds. The balfour declaration world war i document archive. 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. The balfour declaration was certainly significant but less for what it can be credited as having caused and more as a harbinger of conflict to come. The declaration was made in a letter dated november 2, 1917, from the uks then foreign secretary arthur balfour to lord walter rothschild, a leader of the british jewish community. I have much pleasure in conveying to you, on behalf of his majestys government, the. Nov 09, 2017 on november 2, 1917 a letter was delivered by hand from britains foreign secretary, lord balfour, to lionel walter, the second baron rothschild, at his home at 148 piccadilly, a prestigious.
The balfour rothschild declaration peace is our true nature. Balfour declaration uknonun document 2 november 1917. The hidden history of the balfour declaration on jstor. No one who follows the palestinian issue will be very surprised to hear of the call by mahmoud abbas to sue the british government over the balfour declaration of. The forgotten truth about the balfour declaration pdf scholars at.
A march in support of the balfour declaration in 1917, in front of the parliament building in toronto canada. In fact, palestinian president mahmoud abbas would like to sue britain over this letter. The british issued the balfour declaration on november 2, 1917. This year is the centennial of one of the most criminal acts in modern history. The dark forces behind the balfour declaration and its. It will mark 100 years since the signing of the balfour declarationa promise by the u. The contents of this letter became known as the balfour declaration.
In the last section we looked at the number of jews who fought with the british against the turks in the ottoman empire. Nov, 2016 the balfour declaration posted on november, 2016 by admin it is no exaggeration that the history of israelpalestine for the last hundred years has turned on the seminal balfour declaration of november 1917. What is the balfour declaration of 1917, how is it linked to. 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. His majestys government view with favour the establishment in palestine of a national home for the. An improbable regression, journal of palestine studies, xl 2 winter 2011, pp. Wwi document archive official papers the balfour declaration. 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 november 2, 1917 during the first world war, british policy became gradually committed to the idea of establishing a jewish home in palestine eretz yisrael. History of the balfour declaration jewish virtual library.
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