Balfour Declaration and American Colony Hotel

Balfour Declaration Context

• Arthur Balfour, the British Foreign Secretary, penned a letter 100 years ago that significantly altered the Middle East.
• The letter, published on November 2nd, 1917, led to the State of Israel's creation.
• This event ignited almost a century of conflict in the region.

American Colony Hotel's Role

• The American Colony Hotel in Jerusalem has observed over a century of regional history.
• It has been a meeting place for presidents, peacemakers, spies, and journalists, often in secret.
• Peace process talks have occurred in the hotel, including those involving Tony Blair.
• The hotel is near the former border between East and West Jerusalem, highlighting divisions that remain despite unified Israeli rule.
• The hotel serves as a haven amidst regional turmoil, creating a unique working environment with both Israelis and Palestinians.

Perspectives on Balfour's Letter

• Jeremy Berkovitz, the hotel's Israeli CFO, and Hamid Chicana, the Palestinian head of housekeeping, view Balfour's letter differently.
• Balfour's letter supported Zionists' desire to establish a Jewish state in the Ottoman Empire.
• It stated that "His Majesty's Government views with favor the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people".
• The letter also cautioned that nothing should undermine the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine.
• Arabs view the letter as unwelcome, while Israelis see it as opening the door to their future.

Historical Developments After the Declaration

• After World War I, the League of Nations gave Britain a mandate to govern Palestine.
• Arab resistance and violence increased due to displacement, culminating in a revolt in 1936.
• Palestinians believe injustice occurred when their lands were given to the Jewish people.
• The British tried to appease Arabs by limiting Jewish ambitions, angering Jews during the Holocaust.
• The British handed the problem to the United Nations as tensions escalated.

UN Partition and the Creation of Israel

• In 1947, the UN voted to partition Palestine, but Arabs rejected the plan, leading to fighting.
• As British soldiers left in May 1948, Jews declared the State of Israel.
• Neighboring Arab countries invaded, resulting in the division of land by 1949, but without establishing a Palestinian state.
• Approximately 700,000 Palestinians were displaced, an event known as the Nakba (catastrophe).

Ongoing Conflict

• Since 1948, the region has experienced wars, uprisings, terrorist attacks, and diplomatic deals without achieving lasting peace.
• Since the 1967 war, many Palestinians live in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, with autonomy in cities but surrounded by settlements.
• Others are confined to the Gaza Strip, which has experienced repeated wars.

Legacy of the Balfour Declaration

• The Balfour Declaration's 67 words have had a profound but mixed legacy.
• The Holocaust convinced the West of the need to secure Jews.
• Palestinians have no freedom or state, with many displaced.
• The conflict between Arabs and Jews remains unresolved.
• The Balfour Declaration helped create Israel, but a Palestinian state has not yet been established.