Vol. 12 No.02 February 2003/Ziqadah/Zilhijja 1422 H Price Rs. 2.00

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At the outbreak of war in 1914 Zionist activities were centered in Germany. Upon the division of Europe into two camps, however, an other center arose in London. There Dr. Chaim Weizmann became the leader. Opposition arose from the Anglo-Jewish Association and the Board of Deputies of British Jews, both of which were anti-Zionist. Weizmann, however, with the support of the Manchester Guardian, the Rothschilds, Lloyd George, whose private secretary was Sir Philip Sassoon,, and Sir Herbert Samuel, won the favor of Lord Balfour. In the United States a co-operating Zionist committee was organized under the chairmanship of Justice Brandies and supported by Rabbi Wise, Eugene Meyer, Nathan Strauss, Felix Frankfurter, and others.

The Zionists wanted an Allied commitment to create a Jewish commonwealth in Palestine upon the demise of the Ottoman Empire. Political pressure to this end was exerted, generally in the public presses, and individually upon public and political figures. Slowly a sizable group came to favor such a state, especially when Zionists pledged that the new creation, so strategically placed with respect to Suez, would be in the British sphere of influence. Success came on November 2, 1917, when Lord Balfour wrote to Lord Rothschild:

"His Majesty’s Government views 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.

This letter, the famous Balfour Declaration, had the approval of the British Cabinet as well as that of President Wilson, who insisted upon adding the modifying clauses. Later, France and Italy accepted the Declaration, and Wilson publicly acknowledged it in October, 1918. The exact meaning of the Declaration has been much debated in the last decades, but at the time of its writing there was no doubt of its intent. Also it was definitely contrary both to the Sykes-Picot Agreement and to the Husayn-Mc Mahon correspondence. Reasons for its issuance have been advanced by those responsible. It was alleged that its pronouncement was required to gain the support of Jewish circles in Germany and Austria to the Allied side. There may be some basis to this; for in 1918 Germany and Turkey also offered the Zionists a charter for a Jewish settlement company in Palestine. War loans and sales of announcement of the Declaration; and statements have asserted that Dr. Weizmann demanded it as payment for his work in the experimentation on acetone. But neither of these has real foundation. Lloyed George had no feeling about the Zionists, but he saw in them a way to keep the "atheistic French" out of the Holy Land. It was constant political pressure and the winning of important men to their cause, for whatever reason, that brought success to the Zionists. They were disappointed, however, that the Declaration did not read "recognizing Palestine as the national home for the Jewish people."

Husayn was dismayed when the news of the Balfour Declaration reached him, and quite naturally he requested an explanation. Professor Hogarth, an Arabic scholar from Oxford, was sent to explain that Jewish settlement in Palestine would not be permitted to compromise "the political and economic freedom of the Arab population". Again, Husayn accepted the British word.

(From the Middle East: A History by S.N. Fisher, pp.371-372)

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