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The
British Foreign Minister, Arthur James Balfour, and
the declaration from 1917
that bears his name.
The British Foreign Minister, Arthur
Balfour, wrote to the Jewish leader, Lord Rothschild,
in order to assure him and the Zionist Organization
of the British government's continued support for
the idea of the recreation of a homeland for the Jewish
people in Palestine.
The "Balfour Declaration"
became the foundation of the international support
for the establishment of the modern state of Israel.
The letter was published a week later in The Times
of London.
The declaration's commitment to a Jewish
"national home" was later included in the
League of Nations' 1922
Mandate for Palestine.
The Balfour Declaration
1917
November 2nd, 1917
Dear Lord Rothschild,
I have much pleasure in conveying to you, on behalf
of His Majesty's Government, the following declaration
of sympathy with Jewish Zionist aspirations which has
been submitted to, and approved by, the Cabinet.
"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, it being
clearly understood that nothing shall be done which
may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing
non-Jewish communities in Palestine, or the rights and
political status enjoyed by Jews in any other country."
I should be grateful if you would bring this declaration
to the knowledge of the Zionist Federation.
Yours sincerely,
Arthur James Balfour
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