Qalqilya District Governor: Balfour Declaration was an "ominous promise was given by someone with no ownership to someone with no right” and an “historical sin"
Headline: “The Qalqilya district governor received the British Parliament delegation”
“Qalqilya District Governor Rafe’ Rawajbeh yesterday [June 28, 2018] briefed a delegation from the British Labour Party - which came to visit the [PLO] Department for Negotiation Affairs - on the situation in the Qalqilya district… The district governor praised the role that the Department for Negotiation Affairs is carrying out and thanked it for hosting this delegation, which came to visit the district in order to be briefed on its situation. He also emphasized the importance of the visit, and briefed those present on the disastrous consequences of the Balfour Promise (i.e., Declaration) on the Palestinian people. In addition, he emphasized that this ominous promise was given by someone with no ownership to someone with no right, and demanded that the government of Britain atone for the historical sin that it committed against the Palestinian people by recognizing the Palestinian people’s right to an independent Palestinian state.”
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.” In 1922, the League of Nations adopted this and made the British Mandate “responsible for putting into effect the declaration,” which led to the UN vote in 1947 and the establishment of the State of Israel.
“Qalqilya District Governor Rafe’ Rawajbeh yesterday [June 28, 2018] briefed a delegation from the British Labour Party - which came to visit the [PLO] Department for Negotiation Affairs - on the situation in the Qalqilya district… The district governor praised the role that the Department for Negotiation Affairs is carrying out and thanked it for hosting this delegation, which came to visit the district in order to be briefed on its situation. He also emphasized the importance of the visit, and briefed those present on the disastrous consequences of the Balfour Promise (i.e., Declaration) on the Palestinian people. In addition, he emphasized that this ominous promise was given by someone with no ownership to someone with no right, and demanded that the government of Britain atone for the historical sin that it committed against the Palestinian people by recognizing the Palestinian people’s right to an independent Palestinian state.”
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.” In 1922, the League of Nations adopted this and made the British Mandate “responsible for putting into effect the declaration,” which led to the UN vote in 1947 and the establishment of the State of Israel.