The balfour declaration was a public statement issued by the british government in 1917 during the first world war announcing its support for the establishment of a national home for the jewish people in palestine, then an ottoman region with a small minority jewish population. In november 1917, the british government issued the balfour declaration, a short but important statement of imperial policy The letter from foreign secretary arthur balfour to lord rothschild expressed support for establishing a “national home for the jewish people” in palestine. The british government issued the balfour declaration on 2 november 1917, showing support for setting up a “national home for the jewish people” in palestine Incorporated into britain’s mandate over palestine at the war’s end by the newly created league of nations (and thereby guaranteed under or sanctioned by international law), the declaration was the guiding principle of british rule for thirty years. But in the aftermath of world war ii and the terrors of the holocaust, growing international support for zionism led to the official declaration in 1948 of the nation of israel.
The balfour declaration, issued on november 2, 1917, was a pivotal statement by the british government expressing support for a national home for the jewish people in palestine. Dear lord rothschild, i have much pleasure in conveying to you, on behalf of his majesty's government, the following declaration of sympathy with jewish zionist aspirations which has been submitted to, and approved by, the cabinet. For the jewish people, it represented the beginning of the end of 2,000 years of statelessness. The practical significance of the balfour declaration is that in our times it is the modern basis of the legitimacy of the jewish national home and the state of israel.
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