Centenary of the Balfour Declaration

                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              

On November 2nd, 1917, the Foreign Secretary of the British Empire, Arthur Balfour, addressed a letter to Lord Lionel Rothschild, a leader of the Jewish community in Great Britain.

"Dear Lord Rothschild:

I have much pleasure in conveying to you, on behalf of His Majesty's Government, the following declaration of sympathy with Jewish Zionist aspirations which has been submitted to, and approved by, the Cabinet:

'His Majesty's government view with favour the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people, and will use their best endeavours to facilitate the achievement of this object, it being clearly understood that nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine, or the rights and political status enjoyed by Jews in any other country.'

I should be grateful if you would bring this declaration to the knowledge of the Zionist Association."

The Balfour Declaration later formed a basis for British policy in the Palestine Mandate, eventuating in British withdrawal from Palestine the day after the proclamation of the state of Israel on May 14th, 1948.