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Context:

The Balfour Declaration (November 1917) consequences are still felt in the Israel-Palestine conflict.

About Balfour Declaration

The Balfour Declaration was a public statement issued by the British government in 1917 during World War I announcing its support for the establishment of a "national home for the Jewish people" in Palestine, which was then an Ottoman region with a small Jewish minority population.

The declaration originated in a letter from the United Kingdom's Foreign Secretary Arthur Balfour to Lord Rothschild, a leader of the British Jewish community. The declaration's text was published in the press on November 9, 1917.

Background of the Balfour Declaration

The Declaration was issued at a time when Britain and its Allies were involved in World War I (July 1914 to 1918), and the Zionist movement was gaining popularity.

About Zionist Movement

The Zionists believed that the Jewish community, which was facing increasing persecution in Europe, would be safe only if they had their own country, or homeland.

Theodor Herzl, considered the father of the Zionist movement, wrote in his famous pamphlet Der Judenstaat (The Jewish State) in 1896: "The idea that I have developed in this pamphlet is a very old one: the restoration of the Jewish State..."Let us be granted sovereignty over a portion of the globe large enough to meet the legitimate needs of a nation; the rest we will manage for ourselves."

Zionists approached various leaders to gain support for their cause. Chaim Weizmann (later become Israel's first President) and Nahum Sokolow were two prominent Zionists working in Britain. The Balfour Declaration was the outcome of several attempts to gain British imperial support for the Jewish homeland.

Why British supported the Israel project?

The reasons range from genuine sympathy for Jews to protecting their own interests.

The British government attempted to gain Jewish support for their war efforts by declaring support for the Jewish homeland. The Jewish communities in Russia and the United States were important in this regard, as Britain hoped they would persuade their governments to stay in the war until the Allies won.

Geographical control over Palestine was critical in guarding the Suez Canal and managing the Indian colony.

Why is the Balfour Declaration disputable?

The British official promised the land that belonged to someone else. Palestine was then part of the Ottoman Empire, and Britain had no legal authority to promise it to anyone.

The Declaration in spirit violated the promises made in the McMahon-Hussein agreement (July 1915–March 1916), in which the British promised the Arabs an independent state in exchange for support against the Ottoman Empire in World War I.

The Declaration mentions the "civil and religious rights" of "non-Jewish communities" in Palestine, but it fails to address the political rights of Arabs who already live there.

Britain obtained the consent of its Allied partners before issuing the Declaration, but no Palestinian leader was consulted.

Conclusion

The Balfour Declaration was only a document and therefore the blame or credit for the circumstances that led to Israel's creation cannot be placed only on its shoulders. However, British recognition motivated the Zionist movement and gave it significant political legitimacy.

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Source:

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PRACTICE QUESTION

Q.Consider the following statements:

1. Israel is located in the Southern Levant region of West Asia.

2. Israel has a coastline on the Red Sea.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

A) 1 only

B) 2 only

C) Both 1 and 2

D) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: C

Explanation:

Statement 1 is correct:

Israel is situated in the Southern Levant region of West Asia. It is bounded north by Lebanon and Syria, east by the West Bank and Jordan, south by the Gaza Strip and Egypt, and west by the Mediterranean Sea.

Statement 2 is correct:

Israel has a small coastline on the Red Sea at its southernmost point and a portion of the Dead Sea on its eastern border. Jerusalem has been declared Israel's capital, while Tel Aviv is the country's largest city and economic centre.