THE GENESIS OF ISRAEL: BALFOUR DECLARATION AND THE MANDATE PERIOD.
Throughout the ages, Palestine has stood as a distinctive crossroads subjected to continuous conquests. Situated at the juncture connecting Africa, Asia, and Europe, its historical trajectory has been significantly shaped by this strategic position. The intentional acquisition of Palestine by the Jewish community was instigated by Theodore Herzl’s declaration of Zionism in 1896, an event followed by the pivotal resolution of the Zionist Congress in 1897.
Recognizing the strategic importance of Palestine and motivated by a blend of political and imperialistic interests, the British government seized a golden opportunity to exert its influence over the future of the region. The attempts by Zionist leaders such as Theodore Herzl, particularly during Sultan Abdulhamid II’s rule, to influence the Ottoman Empire through economic incentives and offers to alleviate its national debt and several other attempts by the Zionist leader to take over Palestine were met with steadfast resistance by the Sultan. This later led to overthrow of the Ottoman sultan by the Young Turks who were deep in changing the ideological values of the Empire being fascinated by Western civilization and secret interventions.
Looking forward, the roots of the contemporary Israeli-Palestinian conflict delve into a pivotal historical juncture amidst the upheaval of World War I — the Balfour Declaration. Crafted on November 2, 1917, by Arthur Balfour, the British Foreign Secretary, and dispatched to Lord Rothschild, a prominent British Zionist, this declaration symbolized British endorsement for the establishment of a “national home for the Jewish people” in Palestine. Though perceived as a monumental stride towards the realization of Zionist aspirations, it concurrently sowed the seeds of future discord. The crux of the issue lay in the stark incongruity between the British commitment expressed in the declaration and the rights and aspirations of the indigenous Arab populace in Palestine.
World War I, acting as a catalyst for geopolitical transformations, marked a critical turning point in the landscape of the Middle East. The long-standing Ottoman Empire, which had governed Palestine for centuries, was on the verge of collapse. Recognizing the strategic importance of Palestine and motivated by a blend of political and imperialistic interests, the British government seized a golden opportunity to exert its influence over the future of the region after deceiving and entering into different agreements with the regional Arab rulers to rally for their support against the Ottoman Empire with the promise that after the war, they would assist them to gain their full autonomy from the Ottomans rule.
Following the culmination of World War I, the Ottoman Empire, having supported the German side against the British and the allied empires, faced defeat in 1918. The post-war geopolitical scenario saw the League of Nations entrust Britain with the mandate to govern Palestine and Transjordan, a period that spanned from 1920 to 1948, during which Britain wielded administrative control over these territories.
This mandate era presented myriad challenges for the British administration. The conflicting promises made to both Zionist and Arab communities during the war against the Ottomans served to exacerbate existing tensions, laying the groundwork for a protracted conflict. Discontent among the Palestinian Arab population intensified as their aspirations for self-determination collided with the objectives of the Zionist movement and British policies. The mandate period, rather than being a period of stability, evolved into a crucible for conflict, characterized by struggles for control, an influx of Jewish settlers, and growing dissatisfaction among the Arab population.
