From Balfour to Suez: Britain's Zionist Misadventure

Robert Carr traces developments in British policy between 1917 and 1956.

Despite coordinated Arab-British strategy and the heroics of T.E. Lawrence's Arab Revolt, 1918's defeat of the Ottomans did not bring political reward to the communities of the Middle East. Instead Britain and France had struck a secret deal in 1916 to carve up the region between them; and a year later Lloyd George's government had made further plans for a postwar Palestine. The Foreign Secretary of the day, Lord Balfour, conveyed these plans in a letter of 2nd November 1917 to Lord Rothschild:

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 …

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