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THE BALFOUR DECLARATION

Year 2018, Volume: 7 Issue: 13, 134 - 143, 28.01.2018

Abstract

Abstract





As the Balfour
Declaration approaches its centennial, it remains one of the most significant
and controversial documents in recent British foreign policy, for its lasting
impact on the Middle East and British diplomatic relations.   The decision to officially declare sympathy
for the Zionist aspiration to establish a national home for the Jewish people
in Palestine was as divisive at the time as it is today; with detractors
arguing against it as idealistic, anti-Semitic and strategically unwise.  Yet, in the opposition’s preoccupation with
arguing against the publically espoused moral reasons for supporting Zionism,
they invariably failed to comprehend the underlying pragmatic machinations
behind Lloyd George’s collaboration with the Zionists in the midst of the
stalling war effort.  This miscalculation
rendered the opposition voices powerless, and British support of the Jewish
settlement of Palestine quickly became a reality.  Whilst the British Empire gradually declined
in global influence in the years following the First World War, its influence
lived on in the legacy of the war-time contingency policy for Palestine, which
led the groundwork for the establishment of a Zionist state in 1947.  This article discusses some of the competing
claims made about Arthur Balfour’s ‘interesting experiment’ in order to better
understand the motivations of the British government at the time, why
opposition to the plan failed, as well as understand the legacy of the Balfour
Declaration for British foreign policy in the region today.


 

Özet

İngiltere’nin
diplomatik ilişkileri ve Ortadoğu üzerindeki uzun süreli ilişkileri  söz konusu olduğunda, Balfor Deklarasyonu
aradan geçen 100 yıla rağmen hala önemini korumaktadır.  Yahudi halkı için Filistin’de bir devlet kurulmasını
resmen destekleyen bu deklarason, bugün olduğu gibi zamanında da bir dizi
tartışma yaratmıştı. Muhalifler, bu deklarasyonun idealist, anti-Semitik ve
stratejik olarak hatalı olduğunu ileri sürmüştü. Muhalefet Siyonizm'i
desteklemenin ahlaki gerekçelerine karşı çıkmakla uğraşmaktan, Lloyd George'un
savaş öncesi ortamda Siyonistlerle işbirliği yapmasının ardındaki pragmatik amaçları
anlamakta aciz kalmıştı. Bu hatalı hesaplama muhalefetin sesini kıstı ve
Britanya'nın Filistin'deki Yahudi yerleşimine verdiği destek hızlı bir şekilde hayata
geçti. Savaş zamanında Filistin için yapılan çalışmalar, 1947'de Siyonist bir
devletin kurulmasının zeminini hazırladı ve Birinci Dünya Savaşı'ndan sonrasındaki
yıllarda İngiliz İmparatorluğu’nun dünyadaki öneminin azalmaya başlamakla
birlikte devam etmesini sağladı. Bu makale, zamanında İngiliz hükümetinin emellerini
anlamak üzere Arthur Balfour'un 'ilginç deneyi' hakkında yapılan çeşitli
iddialardan bazılarını ele almakta, muhalefetin neden başarısız olduğunu ve
İngilizler için Balfour Beyannamesinin dış politikada devam eden önemini irdelemektedir.

References

  • Bibliography Atran, S., 1989. The Surrogate Colonization of Palestine, 1917–1939. American Ethnologist, 16(4), pp.719-744. Avalon Project, The. British White Paper of June 1922. [Accessed 07/06/2017] http://avalon.law.yale.edu/20th_century/brwh1922.asp Avalon Project, The. British White Paper of 1939. [Accessed 07/06/2017] http://avalon.law.yale.edu/20th_century/brwh1939.asp Avineri, S., 2013. Herzl: Theodor Herzl and the foundation of the Jewish State. Hachette UK. Balfour, A., 1917. Palestine for the Jews: Official Sympathy. The Balfour Declaration. Balfour Project, The. [Accessed 21/05/2017] http://www.balfourproject.org/ Barr, J., 2011. A Line in the Sand: Britain, France and the struggle that shaped the Middle East. Simon and Schuster. BBC News, [Accessed 21/05/2017] http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-39483745 Galtung, J., 1971. The Middle East and the Theory of Conflict. Journal of Peace Research, 8(3-4), pp.173-206. Gelvin, J.L., 2014. The Israel-Palestine Conflict: One Hundred Years of War. Cambridge University Press. G. S. H., 1945. The Problem of Palestine. The World Today, 1(5), pp. 195–204. Gutwein, D., 2016. The politics of the Balfour Declaration: Nationalism, Imperialism and the Limits of Zionist-British Cooperation. Journal of Israeli History, 35(2), pp.117-152. Hansard, 2016. House of Commons debate: Centenary of the Balfour Declaration. [Accessed 22/06/2017] https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/2016-11-16/debates/E6F367C0-2BFD-427B-8A02-2BBB2B1529B8/CentenaryOfTheBalfourDeclaration Hansard, 2017. House of Lords Debate: Balfour Declaration. [Accessed 22/06/2017] https://hansard.parliament.uk/Lords/2017-04-03/debates/632A5268-21B5-4F91-884A-B339C52A0109/BalfourDeclaration Independent, 2017. Theresa May wants British people to feel 'pride' in the Balfour Declaration. What exactly is there to be proud of? [Accessed 21/05/2017] http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/balfour-declaration-israel-palestine-theresa-may-government-centenary-arabs-jewish-settlements-a7607491.html Finkelstein, N.G., 2003. Image and Reality of the Israel-Palestine Conflict. Verso. Friedman, I., 1973. The Response to the Balfour Declaration. Jewish Social Studies, 35(2), pp.105-124. Friedman, I., 2000. Palestine, a Twice-Promised Land: The British, the Arabs & Zionism: 1915-1920 (Vol. 1). Transaction Publishers. Gilmour, D., 1996. The Unregarded Prophet: Lord Curzon and the Palestine Question. Journal of Palestine Studies, 25(3), pp.60-68. Mathew, W.M., 2011. War-time Contingency and the Balfour Declaration of 1917: an Improbable Regression. Journal of Palestine Studies, 40(2), pp.26-42. Mathew, W.M., 2014. British Policy and Arab Displacement in Palestine, 1915-23: Contingency. Imperialism and Double-Dealing. Lecture Given as Part of the Contemporary Middle East Lecture Programme, SOAS. [Accessed 26/05/2017] http://www.balfourproject.org/british-policy-and-arab-diplacement-in-palestine-1915-23-contingency-imperialism-and-double-dealing/ Middle East Eye, 2017. Palestine Activists Press UK to Apologise for Balfour Declaration [Accessed 16/05/2017] http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/britain-pressed-apologise-balfour-declaration-702772836 Millman, B., 2001. A Counsel of Despair: British Strategy and War Aims, 1917–18. Journal of Contemporary History, 36(2), pp.241-270. Montagu, E., 1917. Memorandum on the Anti-Semitism of the Present Government - Submitted to the British Cabinet, August, 1917. Nutting, S.A., 1975, Balfour And Palestine: A Legacy of Deceit. The Council for the Advancement of Arab-British Understanding, pp. 1-17. [Accessed 25/05/2017] http://www.balfourproject.org/balfour-and-palestine/ Renton, J., 2007. The Zionist Masquerade: The Birth of the Anglo-Zionist Alliance, 1914-1918. Springer. Röhl, J.C., 1996. The Kaiser and his court: Wilhelm II and the government of Germany. Cambridge University Press. Root, J.D., 1980. The Philosophical and Religious Thought of Arthur James Balfour (1848-1930). The Journal of British Studies, 19(02), pp.120-141. Stork, J., 1972. Understanding the Balfour Declaration. MERIP Reports, (13), pp.9-13. Tuchman, B.W., 1982. Bible and sword: how the British came to Palestine. Macmillan. UK Government website, 2017. PM meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu [Accessed 21/05/2017] https://www.gov.uk/government/news/pm-meeting-with-israeli-prime-minister-netanyahu-6-february-2017 Unknown, 1922. Palestine for the Palestinians? Advocate of Peace through Justice, 84(7), pp.245-246.
Year 2018, Volume: 7 Issue: 13, 134 - 143, 28.01.2018

Abstract

References

  • Bibliography Atran, S., 1989. The Surrogate Colonization of Palestine, 1917–1939. American Ethnologist, 16(4), pp.719-744. Avalon Project, The. British White Paper of June 1922. [Accessed 07/06/2017] http://avalon.law.yale.edu/20th_century/brwh1922.asp Avalon Project, The. British White Paper of 1939. [Accessed 07/06/2017] http://avalon.law.yale.edu/20th_century/brwh1939.asp Avineri, S., 2013. Herzl: Theodor Herzl and the foundation of the Jewish State. Hachette UK. Balfour, A., 1917. Palestine for the Jews: Official Sympathy. The Balfour Declaration. Balfour Project, The. [Accessed 21/05/2017] http://www.balfourproject.org/ Barr, J., 2011. A Line in the Sand: Britain, France and the struggle that shaped the Middle East. Simon and Schuster. BBC News, [Accessed 21/05/2017] http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-39483745 Galtung, J., 1971. The Middle East and the Theory of Conflict. Journal of Peace Research, 8(3-4), pp.173-206. Gelvin, J.L., 2014. The Israel-Palestine Conflict: One Hundred Years of War. Cambridge University Press. G. S. H., 1945. The Problem of Palestine. The World Today, 1(5), pp. 195–204. Gutwein, D., 2016. The politics of the Balfour Declaration: Nationalism, Imperialism and the Limits of Zionist-British Cooperation. Journal of Israeli History, 35(2), pp.117-152. Hansard, 2016. House of Commons debate: Centenary of the Balfour Declaration. [Accessed 22/06/2017] https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/2016-11-16/debates/E6F367C0-2BFD-427B-8A02-2BBB2B1529B8/CentenaryOfTheBalfourDeclaration Hansard, 2017. House of Lords Debate: Balfour Declaration. [Accessed 22/06/2017] https://hansard.parliament.uk/Lords/2017-04-03/debates/632A5268-21B5-4F91-884A-B339C52A0109/BalfourDeclaration Independent, 2017. Theresa May wants British people to feel 'pride' in the Balfour Declaration. What exactly is there to be proud of? [Accessed 21/05/2017] http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/balfour-declaration-israel-palestine-theresa-may-government-centenary-arabs-jewish-settlements-a7607491.html Finkelstein, N.G., 2003. Image and Reality of the Israel-Palestine Conflict. Verso. Friedman, I., 1973. The Response to the Balfour Declaration. Jewish Social Studies, 35(2), pp.105-124. Friedman, I., 2000. Palestine, a Twice-Promised Land: The British, the Arabs & Zionism: 1915-1920 (Vol. 1). Transaction Publishers. Gilmour, D., 1996. The Unregarded Prophet: Lord Curzon and the Palestine Question. Journal of Palestine Studies, 25(3), pp.60-68. Mathew, W.M., 2011. War-time Contingency and the Balfour Declaration of 1917: an Improbable Regression. Journal of Palestine Studies, 40(2), pp.26-42. Mathew, W.M., 2014. British Policy and Arab Displacement in Palestine, 1915-23: Contingency. Imperialism and Double-Dealing. Lecture Given as Part of the Contemporary Middle East Lecture Programme, SOAS. [Accessed 26/05/2017] http://www.balfourproject.org/british-policy-and-arab-diplacement-in-palestine-1915-23-contingency-imperialism-and-double-dealing/ Middle East Eye, 2017. Palestine Activists Press UK to Apologise for Balfour Declaration [Accessed 16/05/2017] http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/britain-pressed-apologise-balfour-declaration-702772836 Millman, B., 2001. A Counsel of Despair: British Strategy and War Aims, 1917–18. Journal of Contemporary History, 36(2), pp.241-270. Montagu, E., 1917. Memorandum on the Anti-Semitism of the Present Government - Submitted to the British Cabinet, August, 1917. Nutting, S.A., 1975, Balfour And Palestine: A Legacy of Deceit. The Council for the Advancement of Arab-British Understanding, pp. 1-17. [Accessed 25/05/2017] http://www.balfourproject.org/balfour-and-palestine/ Renton, J., 2007. The Zionist Masquerade: The Birth of the Anglo-Zionist Alliance, 1914-1918. Springer. Röhl, J.C., 1996. The Kaiser and his court: Wilhelm II and the government of Germany. Cambridge University Press. Root, J.D., 1980. The Philosophical and Religious Thought of Arthur James Balfour (1848-1930). The Journal of British Studies, 19(02), pp.120-141. Stork, J., 1972. Understanding the Balfour Declaration. MERIP Reports, (13), pp.9-13. Tuchman, B.W., 1982. Bible and sword: how the British came to Palestine. Macmillan. UK Government website, 2017. PM meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu [Accessed 21/05/2017] https://www.gov.uk/government/news/pm-meeting-with-israeli-prime-minister-netanyahu-6-february-2017 Unknown, 1922. Palestine for the Palestinians? Advocate of Peace through Justice, 84(7), pp.245-246.
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Details

Journal Section AÇIK ERİŞİM POLİTİKASI
Authors

Müzehher Yamaç

Hazel Cartmıll This is me

Publication Date January 28, 2018
Acceptance Date September 15, 2017
Published in Issue Year 2018 Volume: 7 Issue: 13

Cite

APA Yamaç, M., & Cartmıll, H. (2018). THE BALFOUR DECLARATION. Balkan Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi, 7(13), 134-143.