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| Britain |
| Palestinians welcome Corbyn's Balfour celebration snub |
| 2017-10-25 |
| [Al Jazeera] Paleostinians in the UK have welcomed Jeremy Corbyn's decision not to attend events organised by a pro-Israel group celebrating the Balfour Declaration centenary. For supporters of the Zionist cause, the declaration marks the first milestone leading to the creation of Israel in 1948. The declaration was contained in a letter dated November 2, 1917, to leading English Zionist Lord Walter Rothschild from British Foreign Secretary Arthur James Balfour, promising British help in creating a "national home" for the Jewish people in Paleostine. The letter conditioned British assistance so that there be no "prejudice" against the rights of existing non-Jewish populations living in the area. After the defeat of the Ottoman Empire during the first world war, the UK became the dominant power in the region and established Mandate rule in Paleostine. A long-term critic of Israel's occupation of Paleostinian land, the leader of the opposition Labour Party has not yet explained his reasons for not attending "About Balfour 100" - a series of country-wide events in October and November marking the occasion including lectures, dinners, film screenings, and Jewish religious services. November 2 marks 100 years since the declaration. |
| Posted by:Fred |