ABSTRACT
The Balfour Declaration was a landmark document for world politics in the twentieth century. Published in 1917, it pledged British support for the creation of a Jewish national home in Palestine and has subsequently swelled to encompass enormous symbolism. A century afterwards, perceptions of the Balfour Declaration are rarely indifferent. Supporters of Zionism view the document fondly, as a crucial antecedent to the creation of Israel. The opposing view sees Balfour’s declaration as a fundamental betrayal, an Orientalist farce, or an imperialist imposition. This plethora of strong views amounts to more than a difference of historical opinion, because the ongoing Israel–Palestine conflict turns any discussion about the original declaration into a comment on the legitimacy of Israel’s existence. The result is that leaders, academics and commentators are drawn into an endlessly dichotomised discourse, which is widely considered counter-productive for conflict resolution. This chapter examines how competing narratives of the Balfour Declaration have been articulated, and argues that the symbolism of Balfour’s letter remains a major factor in unhelpful zero-sum conceptualizations of the Israel–Palestine conflict. The legacy of the Balfour Declaration is found in this divisive symbolism, with practical implications for peace in the Middle East.
