Current Positions | Britain Palestine Project: Recognition is the Beginning

Joint letter by 1,080 parliamentarians from 25 European countries to European governments and leaders against Israeli annexation of West Bank

Current Positions, NewsJune 24, 2020

23 June 2020 We, parliamentarians from across Europe committed to a rules-based global order, share serious concerns about President Trump’s plan for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the imminent prospect of Israeli annexation of West Bank territory. We are deeply worried about the precedent this would set for international relations at large. For decades, Europe has…

By recognising Palestine, Britain can help right the wrongs of the Balfour declaration

Balfour Declaration, Historical, Mandate Period, News, Post-Mandate Period, RecognitionJune 24, 2020

By Avi Shlaim This is the full text of a truncated version of Avi Shlaim’s article in The Guardian. The Guardian had edited out the references to Winston Churchill and the Israeli Policy Working Group. The wave of anti-racist protest sweeping through the country has prompted a re-examination of colonial legacies and responsibilities. Britain’s theft…

Peel Commission Report 1937

Key Documents, Peel Commission Report 1937, Zionism DebateJune 22, 2020

League of Nations 30 November 1937 C.495.M.336.1937.VI.Geneva, November 30th, 1937. LEAGUE OF NATIONS MANDATES P A L E S T I N E ——– REPORT of the PALESTINE ROYAL COMMISSION presented by the Secretary of State for the Colonies to the United Kingdom Parliament by Command of His Britannic Majesty (July 1937) Distributed at the…

Church leaders across the globe express deep concern over Israeli plan to annex parts of West Bank

Current Positions, NewsJune 22, 2020

By World Council of Churches, 17 June 2020 Church leaders from across the world are expressing their grave concern over the government of Israel’s plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank. Archbishop Justin Welby and Cardinal Vincent Nichols of Westminster published a “Joint Statement on Annexation” on 12 June, delivered to both the…

Letter to The Telegraph opposing Israeli annexation, 13 June 2020

Letters, NewsJune 17, 2020

Opposing the Israeli government’s land grab SIR – From July 1 Israel’s prime minister is set on annexing Palestinian West Bank territory to become part of “Greater Israel”. Annexing the Jordan Valley leaves an enclave around Jericho – a bantustan – and dismembers Palestine itself, making it impossible for any future Palestinian government to administer.…

Nakba: The forgotten 19th century origins of the Palestinian catastrophe

Nakba, News, Recognition, Zionism DebateJune 17, 2020

By Joseph Massad in Middle East Eye The Nakba, Palestinians’ loss of their lands and homes, arguably began in the 1880s with the arrival of the first Zionist Jewish colonists, who evicted Palestinians from land the colonists had purchased from absentee landlords. The Nakba is an ongoing calamity that continues to define the Palestinian condition…

‘Boris Johnson must stand up against an annexation of the West Bank’ – Christian Aid

Britain's current role, NewsJune 12, 2020

By William Bell, Head of Middle East, Christian Aid UK and Ireland Last June, an 82-year-old Palestinian refugee called Fayza in Lebanon’s Nahr el-Bared camp wept as she told me: “Palestine is in our bones – it is not something to describe. When you lose your home town, you never trade it with anything. I…

‘Uncertainty still about West Bank annexation’ – Guardian report

Annexation, Current Positions, NewsJune 10, 2020

By Oliver Holmes in Jerusalem Benjamin Netanyahu has announced the time is ripe for his country to permanently seize Palestinian territory by annexing swathes of the West Bank. With a US “vision for peace” blueprint largely backing up his expansionist ambitions, the Israeli prime minister intends to make the explosive move with the support of…

We Cannot Justify Israel’s West Bank Annexation – by 40 signatories in Haaretz

Annexation, Haaretz, Letters, News, Zionism DebateJune 8, 2020

In an unprecedented letter to Israel’s UK ambassador, prominent British Jews warn that annexation ‘poses an existential threat to the traditions of Zionism in Britain, and to Israel as we know it’ The following letter was sent by leading members of the UK Jewish community to Israel’s Ambassador to the Court of St James’s, Mark…

A British Palestinian Perspective: Welcome to the Palestine archipelago

News, USAJune 3, 2020

by Ahmad Samih Khalidi Trump’s so called “deal of the century” is an assault on the Palestinian narrative even before it is an assault on their rights. Perhaps, the most extraordinary aspect of the Trump plan dubbed the “deal of the century”, is its clear and seamless alignment with a long history of inequity inflicted…

Boris Johnson has to stand up to Netanyahu’s annexation plans – for the sake of the Palestinians and peace – by Donald Macintyre

Britain's current role, NewsJune 1, 2020

Published in the Independent 30 May 2020 Whatever Boris Johnson’s troubles, he can always comfort himself that unlike the prime minister of a British ally 3,000 miles away, he’s not running the country while simultaneously being tried on corruption charges. But a difference between Johnson and Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu is the latter’s political nous, most recently deployed in…

Now is the time for true negotiations, not annexation

Annexation, NewsMay 11, 2020

By Alistair Burt Courtesy of Arab News Three notable interventions from UK sources this week gave an indication that the country’s long relationship with and support for the state of Israel is imminently facing its greatest ever test. Almost 130 cross-party and nonaligned parliamentarians signed a letter drawing attention to the Israeli coalition government’s declared…

Palestine/Israel, the FCO and No 10 – briefing by Sir Jeremy Greenstock

Recognition, RecordingsMay 11, 2020

Retired Foreign Office Political Director Sir Jeremy Greenstock talked recently with the Balfour Project Peace Advocacy Fellows about British policy on Palestine/Israel, and answered questions about British Government recognition of Palestine, which he supports, and Israeli annexation plans – which he describes as “illegal, wrong, and a poor policy choice” made by Israeli PM Netanyahu.…

Israeli Ex-Ambassador to South Africa raises the Apartheid question

NewsMay 11, 2020

By Alon Liel Published in the Palestine-Israel Journal The “Deal of the Century,” which was publicly released in January 2020, changes the reality of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict even if the plan itself is never implemented. The likelihood that a future Israeli leader will be able to offer the Israeli public less than the 30% of the…

Podcast: Vincent Fean on the ICC, Trade Agreements and Umbrella Organisations

Balfour Project viewpoint, Britain's current role, RecordingsMay 4, 2020

Diana Safieh: A question from Sara Apps, is there an opportunity to unlock the blockage on the ICC application? What best can we do to help? Vincent Fean: Palestine joined the International Criminal Court in 2015 after the UN General Assembly in 2012 voted for non-member state observer status for Palestine in the United Nations.…

Podcast: Vincent Fean on Israeli Annexation and International Law

Balfour Project viewpoint, Current Positions, RecordingsMay 4, 2020

Q&A Session with Sir Vincent Fean, Chair of the Balfour Project Vincent Fean: It’s a pleasure to be with you. I think it’s important for us to address questions raised by participants at the 2 April talk. We will try and make a habit of that. Diana Safieh: What is the response so far from…

Letter to Boris Johnson on Israeli annexation 1 May 2020

Britain's current role, Letters, News, RecognitionMay 2, 2020

Click here to read the Guardian article.

Vincent Fean on Annexation, International Law and Recognition

Balfour Project viewpoint, RecordingsMay 1, 2020

Prioritising peace and cooperation in the Middle East in the midst of COVID-19

Current Positions, Letters, NewsApril 27, 2020

Statement by Ambassador James Roscoe, acting UK Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, at the Security Council briefing on Middle East Peace Process Published 23 April 2020 Mr President, as others have said this morning, COVID-19 is a global crisis with testing implications for us all. The virus does not respect borders, nor political, cultural…

Balfour Project: writing to your MP about Britain and Palestine/Israel

Balfour Project viewpoint, Current Positions, Letters, NewsApril 24, 2020

Here is a template for your letter to your constituency MP. Please amend as you see fit, adding your address, to show the MP that you are a constituent. You can copy and paste the draft into a letter or an email to your MP. It’s better to write to your MP, asking him/her to…

Letter from Claudia Beamish MSP to Dominic Raab MP

Britain's current role, Current Positions, Letters, NewsApril 23, 2020

This is a letter from Claudia Beamish MSP Member of the Scottish Parliament for South Scotland, to the Rt Hon Dominic Raab, Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs and First Secretary of State.

Letter from Lisa Nandy MP to Dominic Raab MP

Letters, NewsApril 23, 2020

This is a letter from Lisa Nandy MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, to the Rt Hon Dominic Raab, Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs and First Secretary of State

UK Government affirms its position that Israel’s annexation plans of occupied Palestinian territory is contrary to international law

Britain's current role, NewsApril 23, 2020

In a response to a letter to the Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab from Caabu Chair Rt Hon David Jones MP, the Foreign Office and DFID Minister responsible to the Middle East, Rt Hon James Cleverly MP has affired the UK Governmen’t position that Israel’s annexation plans of occupied Palestinian territory is contrary to international law. …

Thoughts on Nabil Fahmy’s suggestions for Palestinian policy

Annexation, Balfour Project viewpoint, News, USAApril 18, 2020

Click here to read Nabil Fahmy’s The “Deal” of the Century? Nabil Fahmy writes: ‘The Trump plan imposes Israeli security and economic control over a self-autonomous Palestinian entity’ Below are Sir Vincent Fean’s thoughts on Fahmy’s suggestions. Dr Nabil Fahmy, former Foreign Minister of Egypt, is well placed to offer policy advice to the Palestinian…

‘Annexation would close door on Israeli-Palestinian talks’

Annexation, NewsApril 2, 2020

UN envoy Nickolay Mladenov spoke as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Blue and White Party heads are at odds over whether the next government would impose sovereignty over West Bank settlements. By TOVAH LAZAROFF MARCH 31, 2020 10:20 West Bank annexation would make it impossible to renew Israeli-Palestinian peace talks and would destroy any possibility…

The Hundred Years’ War On Palestine, book cover on a landscape background with a detail from the cover image

The Hundred Years’ War On Palestine A history of settler colonial conquest and resistance

Balfour Declaration, Book Reviews, Mandate Period, Post-Mandate Period, Pre-Balfour Declaration, Resources, Zionism DebateMarch 29, 2020

One of the many merits of the book is the way Khalidi uses his family and his own life experience to tell this tragic, yet-to-be-righted, story of the Palestinians.

A welcome move

LettersFebruary 20, 2020

As concerned citizens of Israel, we welcome the publication of the UN database of companies doing business with Israeli settlements in the occupied territories. The settlements deprive Palestinians of their basic freedoms and block their economic development. They sabotage the possibility of a peaceful two-state solution and thus also threaten the future of Israel itself. …

Where Is the World for the Palestinians?

Current PositionsFebruary 19, 2020

By El Hassan bin Talal AMMAN – It should come as no surprise that US’s proposed peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians bears all the hallmarks of a real-estate transaction. This supposed “Deal of the Century” certainly embodies none of the ingredients of successful conflict resolution, including talking and listening, accommodation of core interests,…

Balfour Project Denounces President Trump’s Proposal which will only perpetuate the Israeli/Palestinian conflict; calls upon the British Government to take immediate remedial action to uphold a genuine two-state solution.

Balfour Project viewpointFebruary 4, 2020

There’s a strong parallel between the Balfour Declaration and the Trump Vision. In both of the two historical circumstances -and the Trump plan is historical – a foreign state arrogated to itself the right to bestow to one people territory that belonged, through history and international law, to another. The United States,like Britain in 1917,…

A Statement by the Patriarchs and Heads of Churches in Jerusalem on the “Deal of the Century”

Current Positions, LettersJanuary 30, 2020

After a thorough consideration of the United States of America’s Middle East peace plan, also known as, the “Deal of the Century”,and after reviewing the reactions of all concerned parties on the matter, we, Patriarchs and Heads of the Holy Land Churches, affirm our strong devotion to achieving a just and comprehensive peace in the…

As prominent Israelis dedicated to peace, we oppose Trump’s apartheid plan

Current Positions, LettersJanuary 30, 2020

Published in a letter to the Independent 30 January 2020 As Israelis dedicated to a peaceful future for our country and for our Palestinian neighbours, we state our principled opposition to the Trump administration’s plan for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. This plan will not solve but deepen the conflict, engendering a degree of inequality not seen…

Remarks by HRH The Prince of Wales at a reception in Bethlehem

Britain's current role, Current PositionsJanuary 25, 2020

24 January 2020 Throughout my life, I have tried, in whatever very small way I can, to foster greater understanding between people of different faiths, to heal divisions and to remind people of so much that we share in common as opposed to what divides us. Indeed, as it says in Psalm 133 ‘behold, how…

You are right, Prime Minister: Israel needs a Palestinian State. We should recognise it, now: Open Letter to Boris Johnson from Sir Vincent Fean

Balfour Project viewpointJanuary 22, 2020

Dear Prime Minister, This month HRH Prince Charles visits Israel and Palestine together for the first time, invited by Presidents Rivlin and Abbas. He will undertake engagements on your behalf in both countries. This is historic, and welcome. For more than a century of reasons, Palestine is a country meriting equal treatment, equal rights and…

The time is right to recognise Palestine

Britain's current role, Current Positions, LettersJanuary 21, 2020

Text of letter published in The Times, January 20th 2020 THE TIME IS RIGHT TO RECOGNISE PALESTINESir, Today Britain attends her last EU foreign affairs council. On the agenda is the Middle East peace process, which must address recognition of the state of Palestine, alongside Israel. The UK retains historical responsibilities regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict,…

Holy Land Coordination 2020

Britain's current roleJanuary 16, 2020

We must not ignore the voice of people in the Holy Land Every year we come to encounter and hear the people of the Holy Land. We are inspired by their enduring resilience and faith in a worsening situation. In their recent powerful message, the local Catholic Bishops lamented the international community’s failure to help…

The status of West Bank settlements under international law.

Britain's current roleNovember 25, 2019

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo cannot rewrite international law. By John McHugo , Balfour Project Trustee and International Lawyer Following the comments by the US Secretary of State on Monday, we have felt it necessary to clarify the legal status of the Israeli civilian settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. Existing British government policy is…