Publisher's Synopsis
There is today a vigorous debate surrounding the existential nature of the State of Israel. The proclamation of the British Balfour Declaration in 1917 inaugurated the return of tens of thousands of Jews to Palestine under British protection, and led ultimately to the founding of the State of Israel in 1948. The Balfour Declaration is viewed by some as the product of mere political expediency on the part of war-time Britain. Others point out that throughout the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries there was a growing conviction amongst some leading Jews and British gentiles that the time was ripe for the Jews to return to their ancient land, and that Britain, as the world super-power of the time, would be strategic in bringing this about politically. When it finally came, after a long and messy negotiation period, the wording of the Balfour Declaration was ambiguous, some would argue deliberately so, and has caused confusion and conflict in the Middle East ever since. This book examines what caused the ambiguity in its wording and how this ultimately backfired on both Britain and the Zionists.
