Palestinians to sue over Balfour Declaration
President Mahmoud Abbas plans lawsuit over UK's support for establishment of Israel in 1917
Palestinian officials are to sue the UK government over the 1917 Balfour Declaration, which set in place provisions for the state of Israel.
What was the Balfour Declaration?Writing in 1917 to leaders of the UK's Jewish community, the foreign secretary Arthur Balfour pledged support for the establishment of a "national home" for the Jewish people in Palestine.
The "Balfour Declaration", a milestone for the Zionist movement, formed the basis of the UK's mandate in Palestine, which led directly to mass Jewish immigration and the creation of Israel in the wake of the Second World War and the Holocaust.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Yet almost a century on, the declaration remains highly divisive across the Middle East.
Israel's ambassador to London, Mark Regev, suggested the centenary should be marked with a "public celebration together with the British government". However, the Foreign Office has said it would "mark" the occasion in recognition of what is still a "live issue" in the region.
Do the Palestinians have a case?At the opening of this week's Arab League summit, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas accused the UK of supporting "Israeli crimes" and said the declaration was "a fateful promise from those who do not own to those who do not deserve".
He also called on other states in the alliance to join the lawsuit, which will be filed in an as-yet-unnamed international court, says The Independent.
Threatening legal action over a 99-year-old document is "certainly a stretch, and it attracted more ridicule than serious analysis", says The Guardian.
The declaration has long been superseded by other decisions, including UN resolutions, but the lawsuit may be seen as "a symptom of desperation about the Palestinian cause at a time when the peace process is non-existent and hopes for an end to occupation and a two-state solution to the conflict appear moribund", the paper adds.
How has Israel responded?Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the lawsuit was part of an attempt to deny the Jewish people's "strong connection to our land".
He added: "This shines a light clarifying the root of the conflict is the refusal to recognise a Jewish state in any borders."
Speaking to Jewish newspaper Haaretz, Gilad Erdan, the Israeli public security minister, called the move "strange but not accidental", coming as it did 100 years since the declaration and 50 years after the Six Day War.
It showed the "only goal [of the Palestinians] is to de-legitimise Israel," he said.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Today's political cartoons - October 23, 2024
Cartoons Wednesday's cartoons - loving thy neighbour, an HR matter, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Giuliani must hand assets to women he defamed
Speed Read The former New York City mayor must turn over his apartment and other possessions
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Abercrombie ex-CEO charged with sex crimes
Speed Read Mike Jeffries ran the brand during its heyday from 1992 to 2014
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
The death of Hassan Nasrallah
In the Spotlight The killing of Hezbollah's leader is 'seismic event' in the conflict igniting in the Middle East
By The Week UK Published
-
Putin's fixation with shamans
Under the Radar Secretive Russian leader, said to be fascinated with occult and pagan rituals, allegedly asked for blessing over nuclear weapons
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Israel's suspected mobile device offensive pushes region closer to chaos
In the Spotlight After the mass explosion of pagers and walkie-talkies assigned to Hezbollah operatives across Lebanon, is all-out regional war next, or will Israel and its neighbors step back from the brink?
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
A brief history of third parties in the US
In Depth Though none of America's third parties have won a presidential election, they have nonetheless had a large impact on the country's politics
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
Chimpanzees are dying of human diseases
Under the radar Great apes are vulnerable to human pathogens thanks to genetic similarity, increased contact and no immunity
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Deaths of Jesse Baird and Luke Davies hang over Sydney's Mardi Gras
The Explainer Police officer, the former partner of TV presenter victim, charged with two counts of murder after turning himself in
By Austin Chen, The Week UK Published
-
Quiz of The Week: 24 February - 1 March
Puzzles and Quizzes Have you been paying attention to The Week's news?
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Will mounting discontent affect Iran election?
Today's Big Question Low turnout is expected in poll seen as crucial test for Tehran's leadership
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published