Category Archives: Misc

Post Conflict Gaza; Construction or Reconstruction with Charlie Bird OBE

January 2024 Watch Video Listen to Audio/Podcast In conversation with Andrew Whitley, Balfour Project Chair.  From 2010 to November 2018 Charles Bird, OBE, was a Teaching Fellow at the Centre for the Study of Terrorism and Political Violence (CSTPV), University … Continue reading

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The forgotten atrocities: Britain’s history of abuse in Palestine – BBC Newsnight

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKPayr11kFI&t=1s&ab_channel=BBCNews 7 Oct, 2022 The UK government is being urged to make a formal apology for alleged war crimes by British troops in historical Palestine nearly a century ago. The petition, along with 300 pages of evidence, is being brought … Continue reading

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West ‘colluding in terrible failure’ in Gaza, warns Peter Hain

Labour peer and former Middle East minister says Hamas will have to be included in future governance of Gaza Sir Peter Hain is a Patron of the Balfour Project.  Western policy towards Gaza represents collusion in a terrible failure and … Continue reading

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Parliamentary Questions

UNWRA   UIN HL2083, tabled on 31 January 2024 https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2024-01-31/HL2083 Question Baroness Janke, Liberal Democrat To ask His Majesty’s Government whether they intend to call for an immediate independent investigation into the killing of 150 staff of the United Nations … Continue reading

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Past Parliamentary Questions

Written and Oral Questions and Answers that can be found in Hansard (the Official Report) which is the edited verbatim report of proceedings of both the House of Commons and the House of Lords.   Topics Annexation Archaeology COVID-19  Detention … Continue reading

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Many more will die from attacks, disease and famine if we do not stop the humanitarian catastrophe: UK statement at the UN Security Council

by British Ambassador Barbara Woodward, at the UN Security Council meeting on Gaza on 29 Dec 2023.   President, let me start with the humanitarian crisis. The 21 Dec IPC [Infection Prevention and Control] report records that more people are … Continue reading

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The Holy Land: what happened in Palestine by Trustee John McHugo in The Tablet

Published in The Tablet 16 December 2023 issue.  Download Article as PDF Peace in Israel/Palestine will not be reached until each side understands the legitimate rights of the other – and stops interpreting facts to advocate its own story By … Continue reading

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56 UK parliamentarians call for UK Government to ban violent Israeli settlers and those who incite them from entry to the UK

A letter, co-drafted by the Balfour Project and CAABU, to David Cameron and James Cleverly MP. Rt Hon Lord Cameron, Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development AffairsRt Hon James Cleverly MP, Secretary of State for the Home Department Dear Secretaries … Continue reading

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A message from Gaza: round-the-clock bombs, no water, no escape

The Balfour Project podcast Keys: a Troubled Inheritance, tracing the stories of two families, one Jewish and victims of the Nazi genocide, the other Palestinian, uprooted by the Nakba, the Catastrophe of 1948, is written and presented by Michael Joseph, a son … Continue reading

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Gaza and international law: SOAS “Influencing the Corridors of Power” briefing note

I draw to your attention this note below sent to all UK Parliamentarians in the SOAS “Influencing the Corridors of Power” series. It seeks to describe what is and is not legally permissible in this war. Further to the analysis … Continue reading

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Reactions from the UN Secretary-General, and EU foreign affairs and humanitarian affairs office leaders

UN Secretary-General: ‘end this vicious circle of violence’ Israeli actions in Gaza breach international law, says EU’s top diplomat Humanitarian Affairs chief: the laws of war must be upheld    

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Gaza, Israel and the Law

In its statement of 13 October, the Balfour Project set out its view on war crimes committed by Hamas and by Israel. Nothing can excuse the murder of civilians and the taking of hostages by Hamas. These are war crimes. … Continue reading

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Balfour Project evidence to the Commons Foreign Affairs Ctee on the viability of the two-state solution

In our statement of 13 October on war crimes in Israel and in Gaza, we mentioned that the Balfour Project charity has submitted evidence to the Commons Foreign Affairs Ctee inquiry into the UK’s engagement with the Middle East and … Continue reading

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Sir Vincent Fean on LBC 13 Oct 2023

Sir Vincent Fean interviewed on LBC Oct 13 2023

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The Balfour Project condemns Hamas atrocities and calls on Israel to desist from also committing War Crimes

The Balfour Project condemns Hamas’ act of terrorism of 7 October, including heinous murder and the taking of mass hostages in Israel. Securing their safe release must be a top priority. Those responsible for this outrage must be held to … Continue reading

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Why Israel fears the facts: reporting on Israel’s human rights violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory for the UN

By Mandy Turner, originally for Jadaliyya [This is a review essay of Richard Falk, John Dugard, and Michael Lynk (with a foreword by Francesca Albanese), Protecting Human Rights in Occupied Palestine: Working Through the United Nations (Atlanta: Clarity Press, 2022).] … Continue reading

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How Israel has misused its position as an occupying power

John McHugo, Balfour Project Trustee, internation law expert and Middle East historian writes: The International Court of Justice is the judicial organ of the United Nations. In December 2022 it was requested by the UN General Assembly to clarify “the … Continue reading

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‘We are in a civil war over Israel’s national identity’

By Ben Lynfield, published 29 July 2023 on Plus 61J Media The religious Right wants Jewish supremacism, the liberal Left wants democracy. The war could yet turn violent, political scientist Menachem Klein tells Ben Lynfield. Could there be a civil … Continue reading

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Palestinians and Israelis, A Short History of Conflict

By Michael Scott-Baumann Review by Prof. Menachem Klein  The History Press, 2021, hard cover. 258 p. £14.99 The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is the oldest active national conflict in the world. It has raged without cease since the late 19th Century. The … Continue reading

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My father, and his struggle with the British and their plots against Palestine

By Raja Shehadeh The brief history I present here about the relations between Britain and Palestine is selective. I focus on events in which my father, Aziz Shehadeh, played a role. Much of what I will cover in this talk … Continue reading

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Memoirs of an Arab Jew

By Avi Shlaim Review by Gillian Mosely “The trouble with nationalism is that it stops us thinking.” The source of this piece of profound wisdom, imparted on page two of Avi Shlaim’s new book, Memoirs of an Arab Jew, is … Continue reading

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Letter from Balfour Project Chair to Sir Keir Starmer on the Economic Activities of Public Bodies (Overseas Matters) Bill.

30 June 2023 Dear Sir Keir, Economic Activities of Public Bodies (Overseas Matters) Bill: If Labour’s “reasoned amendment” is voted down in Parliament on Monday, please vote against the Bill I write on behalf of the trustees of the Balfour … Continue reading

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Interactive Resources

Interactive Encyclopaedia of PalestineCreated by the Institute for Palestine Studies and the Palestinian Museum, this bilingual platform traces the history of modern and contemporary Palestine through event analysis, biographies, maps and primary documents. Palestine Re-Mix A digital tool rooted in … Continue reading

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Reports

Al Haq Annual Field Report on Human Rights Violations in 202Al Haq Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories 2022Amnesty International Not a “Vibrant Democracy” This is Apartheid 2022B’tselem (The Israel Information Centre for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories) A … Continue reading

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Friends of Israel: The Backlash Against Palestinian Solidarity

By Hil Aked Review by Tim Llewellyn Verso, £18.99 Israel’s usually deep well of public approval in the British Isles began in 2000 quickly to empty. It was being seriously depleted by the collapse of the Oslo peace process and … Continue reading

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First Encounter: The King-Crane Commission and Palestine, 1919

Martin A. Smith Origins and background Though little-remembered today, the 1919 Inter-Allied Commission on Mandates in Turkey, more popularly known as the King-Crane Commission after its two co-chairs, was the first and one of the most important of the 21 … Continue reading

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The 2030 roadmap for UK-Israel bilateral relations

Published 21 March 2023 Signed at One Carlton Gardens, London, on 21 March 2023 For the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Of the State of Israel For the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and … Continue reading

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Israel/UK Roadmap – the text and the reactions

Netanyahu and Sunak – Letter in The Times, 28 March 2023 On Friday Rishi Sunak welcomed Benjamin Netanyahu, and stressed the importance of upholding shared “democratic values, including in the proposed judicial reforms in Israel”. Mr Netanyahu went home and … Continue reading

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Executive Committee (EXCO)

Mike Scott-Baumann Mike Scott-Baumann is a graduate of Cambridge University and has an MA in Palestine Studies from the School of Oriental and African Studies in London. He has thirty-five years’ experience as a history teacher and lecturer. He has … Continue reading

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A Palestinian journey from homeland to exile and back

By Rabbi Danny Rich Stranger in My Own Land Palestine, Israel and One Family’s Story of Home By Fida Jiryis (C.Hirst & Co. (Publishers) Ltd., London, 2022) In a submission to ‘Zionism: a Jewish Communal Response from the UK’ (Board … Continue reading

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How the US persistently shields Israel from accountability at the UN

By Michael Lynk In his eloquent 2012 memoir, Kofi Annan, the former secretary general of the United Nations, wrote that the failure of the U.N. to achieve lasting peace in the Middle East was a deep internal wound as old … Continue reading

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6m+ Israeli Jews; 6m+Palestinian Arabs: how to start squaring the Holy Land circle

By Menachem Klein (reprinted from the US journal LOGOS*) The death of Faisal Husseini, the senior Palestinian leader in East Jerusalem, in May, 2001, and Israel’s order to close the Orient House, the PLO headquarters in Jerusalem, in August of … Continue reading

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From the new colonies to the metropolis: how the one regime changes the Israel-Palestine question

By Menachem Klein (reprinted from LOGOS*) This is a much-extended and updated version of a previously published article.[1] Israel’s November, 2022, election results, which led to the establishment of a far right coalition with radical settlers occupying key positions in the … Continue reading

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In conversation with Ambassador (rtd.), State of Israel Ilan Baruch and Former Director of Israeli Affairs, State of Palestine Ashraf Al-Ajrami

with Balfour Project chair Andrew Whitley 8 March 2023 Ambassador (ret.) Ilan Baruch is chairperson of the Policy Working Group (PWG), an Israeli advocacy team focusing on policy issues pertaining to the achievement of peace between Israel and Palestine based … Continue reading

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Britain Must Act Now to Block Unprecedented Israeli Settlement Plans

As you may have read or heard, Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu’s government is advancing large-scale plans to build many new settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory, in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. These are being done in defiance of … Continue reading

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Who we are

PatronsTrusteesExecutive CommitteeProgramme Officers The Board of Trustees holds ultimate authority within the Balfour Project, under the regulations of the OSCR. An Executive Committee organises and manages the day-to-day work of the charity, either directly or through delegation from the Board … Continue reading

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Trustees

Richard BurdenRichard Haines Burden is a British Labour Party politician who was Member of Parliament for Birmingham Northfield (1992-2019). He served as Shadow Transport Minister (2013-2016) and (2016-2017). The Rt Revd Dr Michael DoeThe Rt Revd Dr Michael Doe is … Continue reading

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How Palestine was ‘disappeared’ by Britain, Jordan and the Zionists

We are republishing this review of Collusion Across the Jordan (1988), the first book to demonstrate conclusively that in 1947-1948, Britain, Jordan and the Zionists worked to ensure there would be no Palestinian state. Israel has continued that policy to … Continue reading

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New Israeli Government

Occupied Palestinian Territories: Volume 829: debated on Monday 27 March 2023 Asked by Baroness Janke (Lib Dem) To ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of (1) the recent transfer of governance powers in parts of the Occupied … Continue reading

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Diplomatic missions visit Palestinian community threatened with demolition

Jerusalem, Jan 30, 2023, issued by the Office of the European Union Representative (West Bank and Gaza Strip, UNRWA) Representatives of Belgium, Brazil, Denmark, the EU, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland the UK … Continue reading

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The case against Netanyahu’s rewriting of history

By John McHugo, Mike Scott-Baumann and Peter Shambrook Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has said: “The Jewish people are not occupiers in their own land nor occupiers in our eternal capital Jerusalem, and no UN resolution will twist this historical … Continue reading

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The 1920 Jerusalem riots – Arab fears, Zionist pressures, faulty security cited in British Palin inquiry

By Mike Scott-Baumann The Report of the Palin Commission (or Court) of Inquiry, 1920 The Commission was established in May, 1920, to examine the reasons for the Jerusalem [‘Nebi Musa’] riots of April, 1920, and “the extent and causes of racial feelings … Continue reading

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Inventing the new antisemitism

Israel and its acolytes have long pushed the agenda that anti-Zionism is a form of anti-Jewish racism. A new book shows how this endeavour came at the expense of Palestinians and diaspora Jews alike. By Em Hilton  “Whatever Happened to Antisemitism?: … Continue reading

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2023 CONFERENCE: Human Rights in Palestine: Responsibility and Accountability

Recordings now available below Welcome – Andrew Whitley, Balfour Project Chair & Introduction to Conference—Baroness Sayeeda Warsi Click here for Audio/Podcast Keynote Speech followed by Q&A—Francesca Albanese,  United Nations Special Rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories Click here for Audio/Podcast … Continue reading

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Israel and Palestine: neighbours, yet worlds apart – and why Britain matters

19 January 2023 in The Ambassador Partnership                                               By Sir Vincent Fean A team in the UK Foreign Office deals with the Middle East Peace Process, also known as Israel/Palestine. Problem: there is no Process, and no Peace. There is … Continue reading

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The UK opposes all unilateral actions that will make Israeli-Palestinian peace harder to achieve

UK Statement at the UN Security Council, 18 Jan 2023 Last year saw large numbers of Palestinians and Israelis killed, worsening rates of settler violence, and the emergence of new Palestinian militant groups. Unfortunately, 2023 has also started with violence … Continue reading

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Matthew Hughes – British Pacification in Mandate Palestine, 1936-39

Thursday 23rd February 2023 Matthew Hughes is Chair in military history at Brunel University London. His most recent book Britain’s Pacification of Palestine: the British Army, the Colonial State and the Arab Revolt, 1936-39  came out with Cambridge University Press in 2019. … Continue reading

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Matthew Teller – Jerusalem and the British: 200 turbulent years

March 2023 Matthew Teller’s “Nine Quarters of Jerusalem: A New Biography of the Old City” (Profile Books, 2022) was named a Book of the Year by the Daily Telegraph. Matthew writes for the BBC, Guardian, Independent, Times, Financial Times and … Continue reading

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Chronicler of Palestine – Raja Shehadeh Webinar

Author Raja Shehadi in conversation with journalist Tim Llewellyn about his new book We Could Have Been Friends my Father and I  January 2023 Raja Shehadeh is a lawyer and writer and the founder of the pioneering Palestinian human rights … Continue reading

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Chronicler of Palestine – Raja Shehadeh Webinar

Author Raja Shehadi in conversation with journalist Tim Llewellyn about his new book We Could Have Been Friends my Father and I  Thursday 19th January 2023 Raja Shehadeh is a lawyer and writer and the founder of the pioneering Palestinian … Continue reading

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