BICOM

The 1917 Balfour Declaration enshrined the British Government’s support for a Jewish national home. Originally taking the form of a letter from British Foreign Minister Lord Balfour to honorary president of the Zionist Federation Lord Rothschild, the Declaration played an important role in Britain’s support for, and the creation of, the State of Israel.

To mark the centenary of this landmark document, BICOM and Fathom have produced a series of publications and events on the legacies of the Declaration.

BICOM-Jewish News Policy Conference | UK-Israel Shared Strategic Challenges

On Thursday 2 November, BICOM and the Jewish News held a one-day conference called “Britain, Israel and the Middle East” in Parliament to mark the centenary of the Balfour Declaration. The entire conference was live streamed.

Keynote speakers included Development Secretary Priti Patel, Shadow Foreign Secretary Emily Thornberry, FCO Permanent Under Secretary Sir Simon McDonald and Israeli leader of the opposition Isaac Herzog. Three panel discussions explored the causes and consequences of the Balfour Declaration, 100 years of British policy in the Middle East and current challenges in the region. Panelists included Professor Jonathan Schneer, Dr Einat Wilf, Elias Zananiri, Sir Malcolm Rifkind, Anton La Guardia, Dr Claire Spencer, Major General Amos Gilad, Sir John Jenkins and James Sorene. Read more

Briefing | The Balfour Declaration: origins and impact

The BICOM research team has produced a briefing explaining the Declaration, outlining its historical context, its legal implications and why the Declaration continues to hold significance 100 years later. Read more

Balfour 100 | The Fathom Essays

Fathom has published a new eBook to mark the 100^th anniversary of the Balfour Declaration. Balfour 100: The Fathom Essays features Toby Greene, Elias Zananiri, Gershon Shafir, Azriel Bermant, James Sorene, Efraim Halevy, Ronnie Fraser, Donna Robinson Devine and Jonathan Schneer, with a forward by Colin Shindler. The e-book can be read for free here.

Fathom special issue

Fathom 17 is a special issue to mark the 100th anniversary of the Balfour Declaration, which you can read here.

Telegraph | How Balfour’s great purpose led to conflict

BICOM CEO James Sorene wrote an article, published in the Daily Telegraph, on the history of the Balfour Declaration and its implementation during the British Mandate. Read more

Huffington Post | We need to talk about the Balfour Declaration

BICOM Senior Research Associate Dr Toby Greene wrote an article, published on the Huffington Post, about the centenary of the Balfour Declaration, its legacy and the peace process. Read more

LabourList | Why the Balfour declaration is steeped in the history of the Labour Party

Director of Academic Friends of Israel Ronnie Fraser wrote an article for LabourList about the Labour Party’s historical commitment to Zionism. Read more