A LETTER & A BANKING FAMILY THE CREATION OF ISRAEL

The creation of Israel in Palestine owes much to a 1917 letter from then-British Foreign Secretary Arthur Balfour addressed to Walter Rothschild, the 2nd Baron Rothschild, of the wealthy banking family.

To commemorate the letter's 100th anniversary, Daniel Taub, former Israeli ambassador to the United Kingdom, sat down in 2017 with the family's 4th baron to delve into what is today known as the 'Balfour Declaration.' Listen as Jacob Rothschild (1936-2024) reveals how Eastern European Zionists influenced the British government by using his family's connections to support a settler colony in Palestine. Jacob's uncle, Walter (1868-1937), a Zionist, was chosen thanks to his wealth and political connections. Note the reference in the letter to 'civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine.'

The Balfour Declaration altered the course of West Asian and African history by helping impose a settler occupying force on land already inhabited by Semitic-speaking peoples. From its creation in 1948, Israel has violated the rights of Palestinians, displacing 750,000 people at the time and—with Western support— subjugating a nation of people for the next almost 76 years.

Does a foreign minister's letter to a wealthy family warrant the dispossession of a whole nation?

Let us know your thoughts.