The Hidden History of the Balfour Declaration

by Sahar Huneidi

Contained on a single page, the Balfour Declaration was sent by Arthur Balfour, the British Foreign Secretary, to Lord Rothschild, a leader of the British Jewish community, in November 1917. It read, in part, “His Majesty’s Government view with favour the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people.”

This brief missive was to be critical in determining the history of the Middle East, from the creation of the state of Israel in 1948 to the present day. And yet, despite its importance, the true origins of the Declaration remain obscure.

The Declaration, Sahar Huneidi observes, was a work of carefully crafted ambiguity. It was this deliberate openness that allowed the British government, years later, to reshape its meaning, and even the history of its drafting, to support specific foreign policy ends. This process, Huneidi argues, was facilitated by a subsequent document: a little-known, handwritten memo by the Under-Secretary of the Colonial Office, William Ormsby-Gore, recounting from memory discussions surrounding the Declaration’s drafting.

Employing careful detective work and a rich knowledge of the subject matter, Huneidi reveals how, faced with a paucity of official records, Ormsby-Gore’s account became the basis for a decision on Palestine that had devastating consequences for the stability of the region. This concise, eloquent book provides a vivid case study of the rewriting and repurposing of history, and compellingly recontextualizes the ongoing struggles of Israel–Palestine.

Genres: History

246 pages, Paperback

Reviews

[Kifah Arif · Rating 5 out of 5]

One might yawn at the mention of Balfour Declaration! However, I am enjoying reading this book by historian Sahar Huneidi! A fascinating account of the background It answers the huge over 100 year old “why?” behind the issuing of it. A new study focusing on what she called “carefully crafted ambiguity of Balfour Declaration, specifically the early origins and negotiations leading up to it- An unknown aspect , namely the scarcity of official british records regarding the declaration- a shocking and highly surprising near-total lack of documentary evidence on its early history … this allowed the british government years later to reshape its meaning to support specific foreign policy ends.” Huneidi says it is divided into two chapters: a general history background for those who are not familiar with the region’s history you might like to skip and go directly to the second chapter which is the heart of the work as she put it

[Nick Pengelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating account of the background to one the most perfidious documents ever crafted by the hand of man; responsible for so much tragedy and bloodshed over the past century.