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Fatah and PLO official says the Balfour Declaration “still inspires the occupation to continue the acts of ethnic cleansing and eliminating the Palestinian presence”

Headline: “On the 101st anniversary of the Balfour Promise: demanding that Britain correct the historical error”

“The Palestinian National Council (i.e., the legislative body of the PLO) demanded that Britain recognize the Palestinian state whose capital is Jerusalem and the return of the refugees to their homes according to the decisions of the international bodies.
In a statement for the 101st anniversary of the Balfour Declaration, the Palestinian National Council again emphasized its demand that the British government act to correct the historical error that it committed when it deceitfully gave the Jews a right to establish a homeland for themselves in Palestine, as part of a historical precedent of injustice, ethnic cleansing, aggression, and violation of the principles of international law…
PLO Executive Committee Secretary Saeb Erekat emphasized that our people, wherever it is located – in the homeland, in the diaspora, and in the refugee camps – will remain fortified in its historical right to self-determination on its land and will not leave, regardless of the price…
He added: ‘Over 100 years ago, Britain facilitated the process of the ethnic cleansing of Palestine, and with blatant contempt for the global principles of justice, it celebrated this “event” last year and adhered to and took pride in its colonialist error and its denial of our Palestinian people’s rights. Unfortunately, the Balfour Promise (i.e., Declaration) still inspires the occupation to continue the acts of ethnic cleansing and eliminating the Palestinian presence, alongside the unlimited support of the American administration and its peace team in eliminating the Palestinian cause and redefining it according to a modern colonialist criterion.’”

Saeb Erekat also serves as Fatah Central Committee member and PLO Chief Negotiator.

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.
Ahead of the 100th anniversary of the Balfour Declaration, British Prime Minister Theresa May said before the British House of Commons on Oct. 25, 2017: “We are proud of the role that we played in the creation of the State of Israel, and we will certainly mark the centenary with pride.”

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