The Land That Was Promised
Three Times
WW1 and the Jews
The Middle East 1914
The promise to the Arabs
The Hussein – McMahon correspondence
1915
• (1) Subject to the above modifications, Great
•
Britain is prepared to recognise and support the
independence of the Arabs in all the regions
within the limits demanded by the Sherif of
Mecca.
The two districts of Mersina and Alexandretta and
portions of Syria lying to the west of the districts
of Damascus, Homs, Hama.and Aleppo cannot be
said to be purely Arab, and should be excluded
from the limits demanded.
The promise to the Arabs
The Hussein – McMahon
correspondence 1915
The Sykes-Picot Agreement
• That France and Great Britain are prepared to recognize and
•
protect an independent Arab State or a Confederation of
Arab States in the areas (A) and (B) marked on the annexed
map, under the suzerainty of an Arab chief. That in area (A)
France, and in area (B) Great Britain, shall have priority of
right of enterprise and local loans. That in area (A) France,
and in area (B) Great Britain, shall alone supply advisers or
foreign functionaries at the request of the Arab State or
Confederation of Arab States.
That in the brown area there shall be established an
international administration, the form of which is to be
decided upon after consultation with Russia, and
subsequently in consultation with the other Allies, and the
representatives of the Shereef of Mecca.
Britain and France agreement 1916
The Balfour declaration 1917
• "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 the
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".
The reasons for the Balfour declaration
• Influencing the Americans to join the War
• Influencing the Russians not to abandon the
War
• To be ahead of a possible Germen Pro Zionist
declaration
• Supporting a persecuted people is a justify
way to avoid previous agreement with the
French
• The religious attitude of British leaders, LloydGorge and Balfour
The Balfour declaration
The Zionist
demand
1919
The dismemberment of the Ottoman Empire
League of Nations:
The Mandate for Palestine,
July 24, 1922
• … the Mandatory should be responsible for putting into effect
•
•
•
the declaration originally made on November 2nd, 1917, by the
Government of His Britannic Majesty, and adopted by the said
Powers, in favour of the establishment in Palestine of a national
home for the Jewish people, it being clearly understood that
nothing should be done which might 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 ; and
Whereas recognition has thereby been given to the historical
connection of the Jewish people with Palestine and to the
grounds for reconstituting their national home in that country
Article 6.
The Administration of Palestine, while ensuring that the rights
and position of other sections of the population are not
prejudiced, shall facilitate Jewish immigration under suitable
conditions and shall encourage, in co-operation with the Jewish
agency… close settlement by Jews, on the land, including State
lands and waste lands not required for public purposes.
Palestine
according
to British
Mandate
The leadership of the Bolshevik party –
August 1917