Voices
More background on the historical Balfour Declaration
In further comment, Britain’s current foreign secretary, Boris Johnson. (Ahead of Balfour 100. UK enshrines Churchill’s headstrong case for Israel – Times of Israel – SA Jewish Report November 3) writes: “[The Balfour Declaration] was really a letter from AJ. Balfour to Lord Rothschild, dated November 2, 1917, and contained this exquisite masterpiece of Foreign Office fudgerama…
Ralph Zulman, Johannesburg
“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 communities in Palestine, or the rights and political status enjoyed by the Jews in any other country.
“Another way of putting it might have been that the British government viewed with favour the eating of a piece of cake by the Jewish people, provided that nothing should be done to prejudice the rights of non-Jewish communities to eat the same piece of cake at the same time.” (The Churchill Factor – How one man made history, 2014, p 319.)