Tuesday 30 June 2009

Who drafted the Balfour Declaration ?

On the 1st of May 1917, Nahum Sokolow,future President of the World Zionist Organisation (1931-35) met with the Papal Secretary of State, Cardinal Gasparri. Sokolow commented,"I felt a chill in my bones..." The purpose of the meeting was to enlist Vatican support for creating a homeland for the Jews. The reason for "the chill" arose from the Catholic Church's ambition to claim for the reserved area in the Sykes-Picot Agreement. This area comprised of Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Nazareth and even the surrounding areas of Tiberias and Jericho. Ambitious indeed.
The Cardinal, having voiced his formative principle regarding the matter, continued by commenting that The Holy See, wished the Zionists well in their attempt to build a Jewish State. Sokolow's letter continues,"I do not wish this premature superlative to pass without comment. We do not plan to create a State but only an autonomous home." According to this letter, the reply was,"Do not worry. I only used that as a figure of speech. Call it what you will. I assure you that from the Church you will have no opposition. On the contrary, you may count on our sympathy. We shall be glad to see the land [sic] of Israel."
On May 4th, Sokolow was received in private audience by Pope Benedict XV. Thirteen years previously, Theodore Herzl, had been received by Pope Pius X, who told him that the Church could not support the return of the infidel Jews to the Holy Land. Herzl's greatest quote was,"In Basle I founded the Jewish State...maybe in 5 years, certainly in 50, everyone will realise it."
Theodor Herzl was driven by the antisemitism he witnessed in France, at the height of the Dreyfus Affair, hearing chants of,"Death to the Jews." The Dreyfus Affair was a determinant in the genesis of Political Zionism. He was the first president of the World Zionist Organisation in August 29-31, 1897. It was here the Basle Program was adopted; a call to collect funds from Jews around the world for creating a company owned by stockholders, the controlling shares to be held by the Rothschild's (Der Judenstaat,1896)
In Altneuland (1902) Herzl set out a rationale for his vision of Israel; a peaceseeking neutral land, built on the secular model. A socialist utopia consisting of a cooperative utilising science and technology in developing the land. It was to be a pluralist advanced society," a light unto the nations." This book became a symbol of the Zionist vision for the land of Israel.
The British view, of that time had not changed since Lord Palmerston stated in a despatch to the British Ambassador to Constantinople, 11th August 1840," There exists at present among the Jews dispersed over Europe, a strong notion that the time is approaching when their nation is to return to Palestine...It is well known that the Jews of Europe possess great wealth, and it is manifest that any country in which a considerable number of them might choose to settle would derive great benefit from the riches which they would bring into it."

Sources: Stein, L THE BALFOUR DECLARATION, Valentine & Mitchell, London 1961
THE JEWISH VIRTUAL LIBRARY accessed 30/06/09

Monday 29 June 2009

The Balfour Declaration

Foreign Office
November 2nd, 1917

Dear Lord Rothschild

I have much pleasure in conveying to you, on

behalf of His Majesty's Government, the following

declaration of sympathy with Jewish Zionist aspirations

which has been submitted to, and approved by, the Cabinet

"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 rights of

existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine, or the

rights and political status enjoyed by Jews in any

other country."

I should be grateful if you would bring this

declaration to the knowledge of the Zionist federation.

Signature follows of Arthur James Balfour.

It clearly states that nothing be done to prejudice the rights of non-Jews. In fact, everything has been done to commit human rights violations of non-Jews.

Thursday 25 June 2009

Isaiah

"Go to this people and say
You will be ever hearing, but never understanding
you will be ever seeing, but never perceiving
For this people's heart has become calloused;
they hardly hear with their ears,
and they have closed their eyes,
hear with their ears,
understand with their hearts
and turn, and I would heal them."

Tuesday 23 June 2009

Peace and justice now

Let me dispel some myths. Emet from Jerusalem asked me if I knew of Saudi funding for a lobby group. Yes, it exists, but only for Saudi interests that do not cater for Palestinian/Israeli issues. The blogs coming out of Israel, regarding the CMJR conference in Cambridge, are of a highly derogatory nature, verging on slander.We have all had to pay out of our own pockets to attend, no Arab funding has been available that I know of; I am broke for the rest of the week.

I do not condone kidnapping or assassination, but for the record, the Palestinians do not own Predator Drones, tanks, F16's and the ability to strike at will, with the support of American military satellites. Who is David; who is Goliath ?

Why does Israel sell Palestinian property to private hands ? A last, desperate stand to prevent the Right to Return ? Why does Israel not build on it's own land ? Why the West Bank ?

Compare the universities that both sides have. See a difference ? An entire people have been put in concentration camps, I can find no other description. Now Israel comes sniveling because the US Congress has had enough. Read Shallitt's memoirs, (buy Haaretz) an ex Israeli Prime and Foreign Minister. The truth is all coming out and I will not be distracted by red herrings, stay focussed on the real issues and let's resolve this painful, unjust situation, in a peaceful manner; because, resolved, it shall be, no matter which side wishes it to be. Titus Livius.

CMJR

Thank you for your comments. I shall reply tonight, after the conference, 11pm BST

All non-derogatory, swear free comments will be answered.

Titus

Thursday 18 June 2009

In the interests of justice and equilibrium; an Arab lobby has to be created to counter the ubiquitous pro-Israel lobbies in the world। The present imbalance, especially in the U.S., is unacceptable. There is a grave danger with the State of Israel receiving $2.5 billion annually in military aid alone, that financial advantages enjoyed by it will leave a permanent state of injustice. The next step would be to have a watchdog monitoring the press in the Northern hemisphere for balance and objectivity. The current trend for Europe and the U.S. to voice platitudes and make sounds of political correctness every time Israel commits atrocities is unacceptable when their actions and policies indicate the opposite. It is in everyone's interest to see a peaceful solution to this conflict. In times past, the majority of the populations in the West would automatically believe the State's explanation, however, in this modern and sophisticated society, people are far too politically aware of the ongoing reality for the status quo to remain. The internet, satellite T.V., activists and growing public awareness has sounded the death knell for the ability to let one State, to, literally, get away with murder. Israel's actions have a direct consequence for the rest of the world, and the rest of the world is now watching Israel. Land has to be returned and the Right to Return must be enshrined by a U.N. Charter. The Balfour Declaration was not designed for ethnic cleansing and forced migration. The first step to address injustice has to be a halt to illegal Jewish settlements and "natural expansion", followed by a lifting of an embargo that is tantamount to a war crime; the War Crimes investigators must be allowed into Gaza before the evidence of the use of white phosphorous is destroyed. A logical step to initiate this, has to be the establishment of a special port, with docking facilities in the Gaza Strip, where international aid vessels can circumnavigate the blockade. A media campaign has to be initialized for this to succeed, alongside a parallel private lobby campaign.