Balfour at 109: Britain must answer for the abuses in Palestine it now condemns

109 years after the Balfour Declaration, Britain must answer for the abuses in Palestine it now condemns. A Palestinian petition, submitted over a year ago, has gone unanswered despite the government's recent condemnation of settler actions in the West Bank. Britain's responsibility dates back to the Balfour Declaration, which pledged support for a Jewish national home in Palestine while promising to safeguard the rights of existing non-Jewish communities.

However, Britain quickly abandoned this commitment, refusing to consult with the predominantly Arab population of Palestine. For nearly 30 years, the Arab majority had no elected or representative governing body, and when a legislative council was proposed in the 1930s, Britain rejected it. The methods Britain now condemns, such as collective punishment and house demolitions, began under British emergency law during the 1936 Palestinian uprising, which resulted in the killing of around 5,000 Palestinians.

The army even stood by as Palestinian property was plundered. Some of these regulations are still in use today. In 2013, the UK government formally regretted torture of Kenyans during the Mau Mau uprising and compensated 5,000 survivors. Britain Owes Palestine campaign has submitted a petition detailing this record, based on archival records.

The government should acknowledge its broken promises, release historical records, and offer formal apologies and reparations to address the harm caused.