Prologue
6. Britain's triple tongue diplomacy during World War I (3)
(3) The Balfour
Declaration
The most famous promise of UK’s triple
tongue diplomacy would be the "Balfour Declaration", which was made
in the last of the three promises. The Balfour Declaration was mentioned in a
letter sent from Arthur Balfour, UK’s Foreign Secretary, to Lord Walter
Rothschild, a leader of the British Jewish community, in November 1917. The
declaration announced support for the establishment of a “national home” for
the Jewish people in Palestine.
After the Roman Emperor Hadrian finally suppressed
the rebellion of Jews in the year 135 AD, a long history of the Jews'
'diaspora' (discrete) began. Jewish people had been banned from entering
Jerusalem. They dreamed of re-establishment of a Jewish homeland. They had been
enduring the contempt and persecution of Christian people in Europe. In the
19th century they launched political Zionism campaign which meant the movement
to return to the promised hometown of Zion.
Jews became the de facto ruler of global economy
in the wave of prevailing capitalism from the 19th century to the 20th century.
It was also an era when the financial power of the Jews affected the outcome of
the war. Most of Japanese recognizes Japanese victory in the Russo-Japanese War
in 1904 because the Jewish bankers in the United States bought Japanese wartime
bonds. In the World War I Jewish money was the key to victory of UK. Lord Rothschild
was the exponent of Jewish investors. UK, which had been suffered in shortage
of money, requested war funds to Lord Rothschild. In return, UK promised to patronize
the Zionism movement.
"His Majesty’s Government view with favour the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people, and will use their best endeavours to facilitate the achievement of this object, it being clearly understood that nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine, or the rights and political status enjoyed by Jews in any other country.
I should be grateful if you would bring
this declaration to the knowledge of the Zionist Federation.”
This declaration has shown clearly the
intention of the British government to support the construction of Jewish colony
in the Palestinian homelands. Historically, the Jews had left Palestine in the
first century AD. But Arabs have been living in Palestine continuously for
nearly two thousand years since then. It was the reason why the British
government mentioned in the letter that "Nothing shall be done which may
prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in
Palestine". This phrase, however, has not been abided. On the contrary, Israel
has widened its territory in Palestine through four wars – Israeli Independent
War in 1948, Suez War in 1956, Six-days War in 1967 and Yom Kippur War in 1978.
Israel is continuing to expand their settlements even now. Arabs are just
staring at Jewish outrage without effective countermeasures.
Three promises could be read as such: The
Balfour Declaration meant that if you (Jews) gave us the war expenses, we (UK
government) would give you the Jewish country. McMahon-Hussein Correspondence
was "If you (Arabs) disturbed the Ottoman Empire behind the front line, you
would be supplied necessary money and weapons, and when the war was over, the
Arabic caliphate Islamic state would be established. The third and last promise
– Sykes-Picot Agreement which marked the border on the map by Britain and
France meant that once the war was over, let's divide the Middle East by two
countries".
These three promises obviously conflicted
each other and made the trouble in the future. But the UK, which aimed to
defeat the enemy on imminent war, thought that “Let the conflict of the
interest as it is.” UK chose not the double standards diplomacy but triple
standards diplomacy.
The order of the three promises of the UK
and France was that the Sykes-Picot Agreement was the first agenda. The Balfour
Declaration was the second, and McMahon-Hussein Correspondence was the last
agenda. The fact and truth after the World War I indicated clearly the order of
three agendas. The hopes of the Arab and Islamic people who should be the main
players in the Middle East was thoroughly ignored. Arab and Islamic people were
exploited by Western powers. It was the roots of the trouble in the Middle East
after World War II.
(To be continued ----)
By
Areha Kazuya
E-mail:
areha_kazuya@jcom.home.ne.jp
Home Page: OCIN
INITIATIVE
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