News from the Balfour Project

The Balfour Project's next event will be: Britain in Palestine 1917-1948: Understanding the Present Conflict will be held in St John’s, Oxford on October 30th at 7.45pm and is being organised jointly with OxPeace. The Discussion panel is confirmed as: Prof. Avi Shlaim FBA, Dr Andy Gosler, Dr Mary Embleton, Sir Vincent Fean KCVO, and Rabbi Danny Rich; chaired by Revd Dr Liz Carmichael MBE.

The Balfour project has added a number of posts to their website in recent months. The most recent is an extract from a new book soon to be published:Joseph Jeffries and the Palestine deception. The author William Mathew will be talking at SOAS on October 28th

Another recent post is by Professor Mary Grey who spoke in Northumberland recently on: Perfidious Albion: Britain's broken promises: the Balfour Declaration (1917) and its impact on the Israeli/Palestinian conflict: what are our responsibilities today?

The Balfour project has also started a new menu item of the most read articles which will be updated monthly.

UK Parliament vote on recognition of Palestine

On 13th October the UK Parliament passed the following motion by 274 votes to 12:

"That this House believes that the Government should recognise the state of Palestine alongside the state of Israel, as a contribution to securing a negotiated two state solution."

Although the current Government is not committed to change its policy, this is a significant moment in putting right the wrongs which Britain has done to the Palestinian people. The Labour Party, if elected to power, is committed to formally recognise Palestine as Government Policy. Other European Countries (e.g. Spain and France) are considering their position. May the many wise words said in the UK debate help in working towards justice and peace for all in Israel and Palestine.