On November 2, 1917, the British government, represented by Foreign Minister Arthur Balfour, declared that they were in favor of 'the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people.' This short note would be one of the most controversial documents of its time. A hundred years after its signing, Bernard Regan recasts the history of the Balfour Declaration as one of the major events in the story of the Middle East. Offering new insights into the imperial rivalries between Britain, Germany and the Ottomans, Regan exposes British policy in the region as part of a larger geopolitical game. Yet, even then, the course of events was not straightforward and Regan charts the debates within the British government and the Zionist movement itself on the future of Palestine. The book also provides a revealing account of life in Palestinian society at the time, paying particular attention to the responses of Palestinian civil society to the imperial machinations that threatened their way of life. Not just a history of states and policies, Regan manages to brilliantly present both a history of people under colonialism and an account of the colonizers themselves.

A new history of the letter that changed the history of the Middle East

About the Author
Bernard Regan served for twenty five years on the National Executive of the National Union of Teachers. He has been publicly campaigning since 1982 in support of the rights of the Palestinian people to self determination, for much of that time as an executive member of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign. He was the principal author of the groundbreaking resolution adopted in 2006 by the Trade Union Congress in support of Palestinian rights. He gained his PhD in 2016 studying with the Palestinian historian Professor Nur Masalha. He has contributed to journals including the Journal of Holy Land and Palestine Studies.

Reviews
In this major account of the Balfour Declaration, Bernard Regan's timely book sheds light on the most powerful symbol of the official British-Zionist alliance over the last century. It deserves to be widely read by those yearning for truth and reconciliation in the Middle East. -- Professor Nur Masalha, SOAS, University of London
This is a meticulously researched account of the background and aftermath of a transaction that launched in 1917 a malignant conflict that has poisoned the Near East and the wider international arena ever since. Bernard Regan places the Balfour Declaration in its proper context ... It is compelling essential reading to anyone who wishes to understand the roots of one of our world's most dangerous potential explosion spots. -- Moshe Machover, author of Israelis and Palestinians
Most have heard of the Balfour Declaration, without fully appreciating its history and consequences. With this meticulous and insightful study, we have a fascinating and timely guide to British colonial policy in Palestine, and its devastating impacts for the Palestinian people to this day -- Karma Nabulsi, Oxford University
Another good addition to the library exploring the origins of our current Middle East problems. * Palestine Chronicle *



Book Information
ISBN 9781786632487
Author Bernard Regan
Format Paperback
Page Count 288
Imprint Verso Books
Publisher Verso Books
Weight(grams) 314g
Dimensions(mm) 235mm * 156mm * 22mm