Balfour's Shadow: A Century of British Support for Zionism and Israel

by David Cronin

This is the controversial history of the British government's involvement in the Zionist project, from the Balfour Declaration in 1917 to the present day.



Written by the British Foreign Secretary Arthur James Balfour, the Declaration stated '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.' Its impact on history has been immense and still reverberates a century later, starting what has been referred to as a hundred years of war against the Palestinian people.



This history focuses on the devastating events which resulted from the Declaration, such as the Arab Revolt, the Nakba and establishment of the state, the 1956 and 1967 wars, the Cold War and the Oslo period. It also shines a light on controversial figures such as Tony Blair. In doing so, Balfour's Shadow provides a fascinating take on this much-contested, important history.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Politics

242 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 20, 2017

Reviews

[csillagkohó · Rating 4 out of 5]

niet meteen lichte lectuur, en sommige delen zijn relevanter voor de Britse lezer dan voor de Belgische, maar het valt moeilijk te ontkennen dat dit een imposant geresearched boek vol vernietigende vaststellingen is

[Peter Hindrup]

Must read for anybody interested in ME.

[Paul Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very well researched, if politically biased but makes a powerful case for the Palestinian people. It is shocking how the British, during the Mandate period, did many, if not all of the things for which the IDF are now criticised. More people should read this that will read it.

[Raja · Rating 5 out of 5]

Published on the centenary of the Balfour Declaration, declaring British support for the objective of establishing a 'Jewish national home in Palestine, this book delves into the British empires century of support for Zionism as well as Britain's indispensable role in laying the foundations for the founding of the Zionist entity.

There is nothing that is totally new here but the concision of the book, it's closely argued and focussed nature that make it such a compelling read.

You will learn about the motivations of the British Government for supporting the Zionist Movement.

An entire chapter charts the deployment of the notorious and brutal 'Black & Tans' to act as a gendarmerie during the British Mandate of Palestine. These were constables that had been recruited into the Royal Irish Constabulary as reinforcements during the Irish War of Independence to suppress the Irish revolt in particularly brutal fashion - they were recruited to apply their repressive tactics to the Palestinians, ultimately taught to the Haganah, the forerunner of the 'IDF'

The role of the British in suppressing what the Palestinians refer to as 'The Great Revolt' 1936-39 (Al-Thawrah al-Kubra) is detailed.

Following this the 1939 White Paper and its fallout is discussed and then the British role in recognising the state of Israel in 1948,, arming Israel, side-lining the PLO and much besides.

If you've ever been asked by incredulous British racist, "what does it have to do with us?" or have been told that "it's nothing to do with us" by a mindless racist drone then pick up this book and arm yourself with the facts.

[Avril · Rating 5 out of 5]

Extremely well-researched and bloody depressing, this book explains exactly how culpable the UK is in the human rights horror show that is the State of Israel. From the Balfour Declaration, which was opposed by the only Jewish member of the British Cabinet, to the joint manufacture of weapons tested on Palestinians with Israeli companies and the stifling of peaceful actions of Palestinian solidarity, successive UK governments have enabled Israel's Occupation and Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine.

Chaim Weizmann repeatedly told the British that a Jewish Palestine would be a British Palestine and, apparently, the British believed it, possibly because they saw Jewish immigrants to what became Israel as the equivalent of Protestant immigrants to Ireland, to the point that members of the notorious Black and Tans went from 'policing' Ireland to 'policing' Palestine, with violence, collective punishment, and concentration camps.

The hope in this book is that despite the rampant Zionism of politicians, the general population of the UK is anti-Zionist, to the point that Israel sees the UK as the centre of the BDS campaign.

The horror is that this is a book published in 2017 and no matter how awful the actions of the British and the Israelis it documents, no one could have imagined the extent of the genocidal campaign Israel is currently carrying out, in 2024. God forgive us.

[Ruairi Cullinane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written and easily read book (I don’t read much and found it very accessible). This book does not require you to have a wide understanding of the history of this area prior to reading.

I agree with previous reviews in that it is biased towards a Palestine history rather than an Israeli history. This is an important note but does not take away from the information.

Have recommended to my friends. Late 20s, early 30s readers that have little to no understanding of the history of Palestine.

[Mark Simpson · Rating 5 out of 5]

An essential account of the role Britain has played in the subjugation, exploitation and commodification of Palestine.

[Luqman Tarmizi · Rating 4 out of 5]

“The foundations of Israel were laid in London.”

The above statement summarises Britain’s responsibility for Israel’s crimes. Before United States, Britain is Israel’s best friend and its most loyal ally.

This book was completed in 2017, 100 years since the infamous Balfour Declaration. The author made it clear from the beginning that the illegitimate declaration is part of the British strategy in winning the 1st World War and to maintain imperial and economic interest. David Cronin explores the background of the declaration, its subsequent follow ups, how it helps to foster the Israelis crime and its impact to the plight of the Palestinian people.

Over the years, Britain’s actions and inactions had directly contributed to the current humanitarian crisis, sowing the seeds for the subsequent ethnic cleansing. During the British mandate in Palestine, Jewish forces were trained and recruited by British army to squash Palestinian uprisings against the empire. It also fails to stop the Nakba atrocities carried out by the Zionist forces, with its soldiers prioritised their own safety over the helpless Palestinians.

In the subsequent wars fought between Israel and the Arab countries, Britain never fails to lend their hand to the Jewish state it helps created. Israel became the first country in the region to possess nuclear weapon, again thanks to Britain. Mutual arm trade between the two countries amount to tens of millions per annum. British diplomats actively playing their role in managing Israel’s public relations at the international level, vetoing countless UN sanctions and condemnations against the apartheid regime.

Unfortunately, it seems likely that this trend is set to continue for the upcoming years. While the British public’s sympathy towards the Palestinians continue to grow, the nation’s leaders from all spectrums, left and right still remains loyal to Israel’s cause.