The Balfour Declarations refer to two statements named after Arthur James Balfour. The first recognized a Jewish homeland in Palestine, while the second established autonomy and equality for countries within the British Empire. The first declaration led to the Mandate for Palestine, which gave British control over the territory. The second declaration created a framework for the independence of countries in the British Empire. Balfour played a key role in recognizing the need for a Jewish homeland, ultimately leading to Israel becoming a country.
There are two Balfour Declarations. The first occurred on November 2, 1917, as World War I raged, and led Britain to recognize that a Jewish homeland should be in Palestine. The second Balfour Declaration is less well known and was the result of the Sixth Imperial Conference, a 1926 meeting of the prime ministers of six countries of the British Empire. That declaration established autonomy and equality for those countries within the Empire. Both statements are named after Arthur James Balfour, a longtime statesman in the early 20th century whose career included service in the British Parliament, a stint as British prime minister, and time spent in cabinet positions.
At the time of the first Balfour Declaration, Balfour was a Member of Parliament and Foreign Secretary in Prime Minister David Lloyd George’s coalition government. Zionists, members of a Jewish political movement seeking a Jewish state in the Middle East, had lobbied the British government to recognize the need for a Jewish homeland. After discussions in the British cabinet, Balfour sent a letter to Lord Walter Rothschild – an international financier, former Member of Parliament and leader of the Zionist movement – stating that the British government supported a national home for the Jewish people in Palestine. Britain was the first world power to make such a declaration and it came to be known as the Balfour Declaration.
The Balfour Declaration stated that Britain would do its utmost to achieve the goal of a Jewish homeland. He also said there would be no prejudice against non-Jews in Palestine. In turn, the rights and political status of Jews in other countries would not be affected.
This declaration was delivered before the end of World War I in 1918. The Treaty of Versailles, a peace treaty concluded in 1919, broke up the four-century Ottoman Empire and created mandates for the Middle East to determine which territories would be managed by the allies . The terms of the Balfour Declaration were included in the Mandate for Palestine, which gave British control over that territory. The mandate, approved by the League of Nations, recognized the historic connection of the Jewish people to the region and called on the dominant power in the region, Great Britain, to create a Jewish homeland. With the Balfour Declaration and the Mandate for Palestine as a guide, Jewish people began settling in British-controlled Palestine in the 1920s.
However, promises had been made to the Arabs to help the Allies defeat the Turks, who had controlled Palestine. This prompted a subdivision of the Mandate for Palestine. The British put a part under Arab administration. Essentially, the British created borders for what became Israel and Jordan. Arabs had opposed the terms of the Balfour Declaration and soon clashed with Jews in Palestine, setting the stage for the violence that continued in Israel.
The second Balfour Declaration came on 15 November 1926 as the report of a committee chaired by Balfour on relations between the countries of the British Empire. Balfour, 78 at the time, was no longer Foreign Secretary but Lord President of the Council, still a top post in the British cabinet. The committee included the prime ministers of Canada, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and the Irish Free State. India was not included in the report because its position in the British Empire was already established in the Government of India Act 1919, which allowed Indians to participate in governing their country.
This committee on inter-imperial relations had been tasked with creating a constitution for the whole of the British Empire. The committee, however, decided that such an undertaking made little sense due to the expansive nature of the empire, diverse histories, and varied cultures. The Balfour Report established equality between the countries and with Britain. Countries in the empire began recommending governors-general, who were effectively the heads of state for each country under the British crown, instead of the British government making the recommendation.
Balfour played a key role in recognizing the need for a Jewish homeland, which ultimately led to Israel becoming a country. Israel and the Jewish people celebrate Balfour Day on the anniversary of the first Balfour Declaration. There are no celebrations for the second Balfour Declaration, which created the framework for the independence of the countries of the British Empire.
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