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PA daily op-ed implicitly compares the Balfour Declaration to the Holocaust

Headline: "The time has come for Britain to acknowledge its crime"

Op-ed by Dr. Oudeh Masharqah

"Between Nov. 2 (i.e., the date of the Balfour Declaration) and [Nov.] 29 (i.e., the date of the UN partition resolution), the Palestinian people have experienced events and memories that are like a lump in the throat and cause it to deeply feel the historical injustice that [Britain] itself perpetrated against an injured people… During my previous official work I met with then British Consul General [to Jerusalem] Sir Vincent Fean , who speaks fluent Arabic. During the introductory conversation between us, I asked him: 'When will Britain acknowledge its crime and the historical injustice that it perpetrated against our Palestinian people?' I continued: 'Germany has clearly expressed that it feels this way towards the Jews for reasons related to what is called the “Holocaust” and [Adolf] Hitler's acts. As a result of these feelings, Germany has expressed great sympathy for the occupation state and has given and still gives it comprehensive aid, which includes for instance giving a very advanced German submarine to Israel, and much additional aid, along with providing broad political support. Therefore, allow me to ask my last question: “Will Britain recognize the State of Palestine as a UN member with full rights?”' It should be noted that I knew in advance what the answer would be, and it was indeed as I expected."

The Balfour Declaration of Nov. 2, 1917 was a letter from British Foreign Secretary Arthur Balfour to Baron Rothschild stating that “His Majesty's government views with favour the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people” and is seen as the basis for later international commitments to establish the State of Israel.

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