While not wishing to take sides in this latest conflict, I think we need to be cognizant of where the seeds were sown.
In 1917, Great Britain and her allies were at war with Germany and her allies. With cousin Nicholas in Russia dead and the Bolsheviks in control, the perception at the British cabinet table was that the Bolshevik leaders in Russia were primarily Zionist. With Lord Rothschild, an active Zionist, at the head of the banking and business family in Britain and other Rothschilds and Zionists holding the purse-strings in America, Balfour, former Prime Minister and then Foreign Secretary, issued one of the most extraordinary documents in 20th century history, which forms the basis of the conflict that still rages.
The document, later incorporated into what is generally referred to as the Balfour Declaration stated in part that His Germanic Majesty and his Government "view with favour the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people" but with the understanding that "nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine, or the rights and political status enjoyed by Jews in any other country."
This 67-word letter, which at the time was classified and kept secret from "existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine", Britain's allies, and the British public was to serve a number of purposes :
- Keep the Rothschilds and other Zionist bankers money flowing in Britain to support the war effort
- Ditto in America as the USA's on-going financial and material support for Britain in the German family dispute was critical
- Keep the Bolshevik [perceived as Zionist] leadership in Russia sweet and prevent them siding with poor dead Nicky's cousin Willy in Germany against his other cousin in Britain.
As usual, the Brits in issuing the document, made a number of assumptions which proved false :
- That “ the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people" in no way conflicted with “ the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine” or others
- That “ Palestine” meant the same thing to them as it did to the Zionists and “ non-Jewish communities” [the Sykes-Picot agreement in 1916 had carved up Palestine, Syria, Iraq, Transjordan etc. between the French and the Brits]
- That Jewish immigration into Palestine would grow and give Jews a population majority in the area. It grew from 1914 to a trickle in the early 1920's, 1926 saw it cease, 1927 / 28 saw net emigration out of the area, which was only stemmed by the 1929 crash.
In 1918 when the letter and Declaration were de-classified and published, there were storms of protest world-wide and riots in Palestine.
From 1918 to 1948 at least six different British-led committees, enquiries, commissions and investigations were instituted to no avail to try and solve the “Palestinian problem”, created by Balfour’s letter, until in 1948 the Irgun eventually kicked the Brits out.
Which brings the history missing from earlier posts in the thread up to date, and in my mind explains why perfidious Albion is once again at the root of the on-going problems in the area, wringing hands and shaking heads in despair as to why these former colonials can’t learn to live together peacefully.