To the east it merged with the jordanian plateau, to the south with the. All ip editors, accounts with fewer than 500 edits, and accounts with less than 30 days tenure are prohibited from. Balfour declaration of 1917 simple english wikipedia, the. According to the mandate system created by the versailles treaty of 1919, britain was entrusted with. 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. 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. Balfour declaration of 1917 jsource the workers circle. Issued in 1917 by great britain, the balfour decla. The balfour declaration, november 1917 the balfour project. I have much pleasure in conveying to you, on behalf of his majestys government, the. What was the balfour declaration of 1917 and why is it. When first sent as a letter, the balfour declaration had no international recognition. The balfour declaration 2 november 1917 hurewitz, j.
What is the balfour declaration of 1917, how is it linked to. The balfour declaration, issued on 2 november 1917, was a short document which changed the course of history. The issuance of the declaration had many long lasting consequences, and was a key moment in the lead. 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 letter was published a week later in the times london of london foreign office november 2nd, 1917 dear lord rothschild. The balfour declaration had the weight of this consensus behind it, before. 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 was a 67word statement contained within a brief letter attributed to lord arthur balfour, the british foreign secretary, dated november 2, 1917. E lord herbert samuel commenting on the balfour declaration. The fact that the balfour declaration was issued in 1917, in order to enlist jewish support for the allies and the fact that this support was forthcoming are not sufficiently appreciated in palestine. The declaration was contained in a letter dated 2 november 1917 from the united kingdoms foreign secretary arthur.
This entry was posted in 191520, balfour, documents, history and tagged 1917, balfour, balfour declaration, curzon, lloyd george, lord curzon, montagu. 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 declaration also said that britain supported plans for a jewish homeland in palestine. 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 middle east and north africa in world politics, a documentary record. The balfour declaration was a public statement issued by the british government in 1917. 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. As it finally emerged, the balfour declaration was a single paragraph enclosed in a letter to the second baron rothschild, a british member of a prominent banking family who was a supporter of the zionist movement. This project, carried over from britains 1917 balfour declaration, was. 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. Declaration in 1917 which proclaimed british support for a jewish homeland and helped.
Zionist draft of july 12, 1917 his majestys government, after considering the aims of the zionist organization. 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. 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. Oct 24, 2017 the balfour declaration was the result of a gentlemans agreement in which zionists promised to bring the u. 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. Indeed, as table 2 shows, the term declaration is the most frequent term 76% used to refer to balfour 1917 in the english book titles. The article sets the balfour declaration of 1917 and the final confirmation of. 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 was a short letter by arthur balfour to arguably one of the most influential jewish families the rothschilds. 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. Dear lord rothschild, i have much pleasure in conveying to you. Historians disagree as to what the then british foreign secretary, arthur james balfour, intended by his declaration. The balfour declaration of 1917 my jewish learning.
The balfour declaration led the league of nations to entrust the united kingdom with the palestine mandate in 1922. In 1917, there was not yet a league of nations or a. 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 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. 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. The balfour declaration and the palestine mandate, 19171923. Included in the preamble was the text of the balfour declaration, giving political legitimacy and international recognition to the zionist cause.
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. 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. The letter was published a week later in the times london of london foreign office november 2nd. The balfour declaration of 1917 was the first significant declaration by a world power in favour of a jewish national home in what was known as palestine.
Aug 17, 2017 the balfour declaration was a 67word statement contained within a brief letter attributed to lord arthur balfour, the british foreign secretary, dated november 2, 1917. Balfour, was aimed at jewish support for the allies in the first world war. 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. Balfour declaration of 1917 simple english wikipedia. It was assumed that the letter gave the british governments support to the creation of a jewish homeland. 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.
Encyclopedia of jewish and israeli history, politics and culture, with biographies, statistics, articles and documents on topics from antisemitism to zionism. Foreign office november 2nd, 1917 dear lord rothschild, i have much pleasure in conveying to. The british government decided to endorse the establishment of a jewish home in palestine. The making of the balfour declaration palestinian return centre. The balfour declaration was more than the promise of one nation. 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. The balfour declaration was the first major political triumph of zionism and the culmination of jewish independent political activity until that time. 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 letter has no mention of the word state, and insists that nothing.
Supreme court justice louis brandeis played a key, hidden role. Student groups will participate in a role play to formulate an official response to the balfour declaration of 1917. 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. Britains secret reassessment of the balfour declaration. 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. The claim for recognition of israel as a jewish state washington. 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. 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. 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. The letter, known as the balfour declaration became the basis movement to create a jewish state in palestine.
The influence of the balfour declaration on the course of postwar events was immediate. 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. After discussions in the british cabinet, and consultation with zionist leaders, the decision was made known in the form of a letter by arthur james lord balfour to. British foreign policy decisionmaking towards palestine during the. In 1917 british foreign minister lord balfour issued a letter to zionist leader. Balfour declaration war cabinet minutes appendix 17 october 1917. Background to the declaration the balfour declaration was the jewish. The balfour declaration influence on formation of israel. Chaim weizmann and the balfour declaration policy studies. Issued in london in 1917, the balfour declaration was one of the key. What is the balfour declaration of 1917, how is it linked.
It was sent in the format of a letter on november 2 nd 1917, written by british foreign secretary lord arthur james balfour and. When it became a portion of the league of nations mandate articles for. The article balfour declaration, along with other articles relating to the arabisraeli conflict, is currently subject to active arbitration remedies resulting from four arbitration cases see wp. 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. Nov 02, 2017 just five weeks after issuing the balfour declaration, on december 9, 1917, with the help of the arab forces, britain captured jerusalem. Nothing in the balfour declaration dealt with jewish statehood, immigration, land purchase or the boundaries of palestine. Balfour during one of their long and mellow conversations. The response can either be done as a written assignment, journal entry, blog entry even though there were no blogs in 1917. 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. Balfour addressed the letter to lionel walter rothschild, 2nd baron rothschild, a british banker, zoologist and zionist activist who, along with zionists chaim weizmann and. The territory remained under british control, but on the other hand the arabs were promised independence of the region. 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.
Oct 30, 2019 the influence of the balfour declaration on the course of postwar events was immediate. Balfour declaration, statement on november 2, 1917, of british support for the establishment in palestine of a national home for jewish people. The dark forces behind the balfour declaration and its. Dear lord rothschild, i have much pleasure in conveying to you, on. The contents of this letter became known as the balfour declaration. Balfour declaration uknonun document 2 november 1917. 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. 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. 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. 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. As the peel commission remarked, when the british army invaded palestine in the autumn of 1917, the arabs, a few thousand of whom had been trained as a regular force, operated beyond the jordan on the outer. The balfour declaration world war i document archive.
871 1588 109 1197 1504 177 215 366 18 854 1540 734 70 965 552 1511 136 531 496 738 424 209 339 491 968 1307 1505 397 666 875 1538 1518 287 605 797 413 1299 916 151 1430 219 457 1103 523 1367 1040