On 2 November 2017, the United Nations Palestinian Rights Committee organized a lecture on the Balfour Declaration and the impact it has had on the Palestinian people. In this lecture, Professor Rashid Khalidi, the Edward Said Professor of Modern Arab Studies at Columbia University and Director of the Middle East Institute of Columbia‚ School of International and Public Affairs, reflects on the impact of the Balfour Declaration from the perspective of the Palestinian people, marking the 100th anniversary of its issuance. Khalidi underscores the declaration as a pivotal moment in history, one that signaled a “declaration of war by the British Empire on the indigenous population” of Palestine. He explains how the Balfour Declaration, which promised a national home for the Jewish people, was inherently biased and dismissive of the rights and existence of the Palestinian people, whom it reduced to mere “non-Jewish communities” without any political or national rights.
Prof. Khalidi also delves into the broader historical context, highlighting how the Balfour Declaration laid the groundwork for the systematic displacement of Palestinians and the eventual establishment of a Jewish state in Palestine. He argues that this declaration, backed by the might of the British Empire and later legitimized by the League of Nations, ignited a century-long conflict that continues to this day. Quoting Khalidi, “Genuine reconciliation depends on acknowledging historical realities rather than ignoring them,” he emphasizes that true peace can only be achieved through justice, equal rights, and an equitable resolution of the conflict, which the international community has so far failed to provide.
The Lecture text is available on the UNISPAL database, the largest online repository of documents on the question of Palestine. To read the lecture: