Category Archives: Misc

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 →

Thursday 2nd February 2023 Ray Dolphin worked in the West Bank and Gaza for over 30 years, most recently for the UN office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA), where he was Senior Analyst. In addition to numerous UN … Continue reading →

ANDREW WHITLEY, Chair of the Balfour Project Trustees, introduces an article by HUGH LOVATT, of the European Council on Foreign Affairs, on the UN General Assembly decision to ask the World Court to give its opinion on Israel’s occupation and … Continue reading →

Thursday 2nd February 2023 Ray Dolphin worked in the West Bank and Gaza for over 30 years, most recently for the UN office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA), where he was Senior Analyst. In addition to numerous UN … Continue reading →

9th January 2023 Please join us for a 45 minute recording of our webinar with Layla Moran MP. Layla, our chair Andrew Whitley and trustee John McHugo launched the Balfour Project booklet recording our 2022 conference “Abandoning Palestine: the end … Continue reading →

by Adnan Mahmud The objective of this project is to bring attention to the issue of the use of harsh surveillancemeasures by the State of Israel towards its Palestinian and Arab populations. The aim is toincrease awareness about the human … Continue reading →

by Ross Plowman and Ethan Hadad Developing on the groundwork set out by last year’s Late Ottoman history workshops, we have created a source-based workshop on the British mandate of Palestine. We will deliver these workshops to Year 12 students … Continue reading →

by Nicole Munson, Joel Stokes, Joe Haidar and Adnan Mahmud Storytelling has long been utilized by humans to keep histories alive and to preserve cultural identities. Although sometimes a source of conflict, storytelling has also been an effective tool for … Continue reading →

I commend to you the letter below to the Foreign Secretary about the incoming Israeli Government. It is signed by Julie Elliott MP, co chair of the Britain Palestine All Party Parliamentary Group at Westminster, and co signed by Parliamentarians … Continue reading →

This is an address by Alon Liel, a leading member of the Policy Working Group in Israel, an NGO that works to end the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian Territories, now in its 56th year, and opposes Israel’s policies towards … Continue reading →

Mostafa Mohamed 8 December 2022 Headed to the quarter-finals after an unprecedented run, the North African team has come to represent something bigger than football After a tense two hours, Morocco defeated Spain in a penalty shootout on Tuesday to … Continue reading →

From player demonstrations to unfurled flags, Palestinian struggle has been visible and fearless at the World Cup. By Dave Zirin and Jules Boykoff When Morocco defeated Spain in a penalty shootout, advancing to the quarterfinals of the Qatar 2022 men’s … Continue reading →

20th December 2022 Omar Karmi, a Palestinian-British journalist, and Tamir Sorek, an expert on football in Palestine-Israel, discuss the Palestinian phenomenon at the 2022 World Cup, the reactions worldwide, and the game and players in Israel-Palestine. Video Audio Transcript Omar … Continue reading →

The Rev. Munther Isaac speaks from inside the walls of beleaguered Bethlehem Munther Isaac is a Palestinian Christian pastor and theologian. He is pastor of  the Evangelical Lutheran Christmas Church in Bethlehem. He is also the academic dean of Bethlehem … Continue reading →

By Richard Burden, Balfour Project Trustee Britain has a new Prime Minister and at least some different faces in Cabinet from those who were there a few weeks ago. Although headlines are understandably dominated by questions about the approach the … Continue reading →

The Balfour Project comments that Israel inherited, deployed after 1948 and still deploys, in the occupied Palestinian territory. many of the British defence emergency regulations, including arrest without trial, military courts  house demolitions, armed attacks against civilian targets and the … Continue reading →

Britain’s Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, has dropped the idea of “reviewing” the location of the UK Embassy in Israel, as suggested by his predecessor Liz Truss. Her proposal was to consider moving the embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, a … Continue reading →

By Alexander Schloch As the Ottoman Empire began to open to European penetration, between 1831 and 1840, the various Powers, including the British, strengthened their presence in Palestine and their footholds in the empire by establishing diplomatic missions and setting … Continue reading →

Diana Safieh – Part-time CoordinatorDiana Safieh has managed Operations and Events for companies and charities for over 15 years. Diana has spent much of her life in the charity sector, fundraising for humanitarian and development projects in Palestine. She has … Continue reading →

There is now extensive evidence that the government of Israel is blatantly violating international law in its rule over the occupied Palestinian lands and its oppressive practices against the Palestinian people. As a friend of Israel, I feel obliged to … Continue reading →

Early 1800s Literal reading of the Bible, which had started in the 1600s, develops further, influenced by John Nelson Darby, Edward Irvine and Prophetic Conferences such as those in Albury. 1840 Lord Shaftesbury, best remembered for legislation on child labour … Continue reading →

66-70 Romans suppress a major  Jewish revolt and the Temple is destroyed. The conquering Roman general, Vespasian, became emperor. 132-135 The Bar Kokba revolt. Jews barred from entering Jerusalem. The Romans name the province Syria Palaestina. Jews move North into … Continue reading →

Early History Before the Common Era 2000-1500 BCE Re-establishment of strong political power in Egypt with advent of the Middle Kingdom led to revitalisation and expansion of trade routes and a period of great prosperity in the Levant. It witnessed … Continue reading →

by Emily Abdeni-Holman and Salma Altabari The live literature reading project provides online guides for conducting live literature reading groups in relation to Palestine and Israel. These guides aim to facilitate bringing people together to discuss Palestinian and Israeli literature. The … Continue reading →

Profile Books. Hard cover. £16.99 Review by Menachem Klein Watch recording of Matthew Teller’s ‘Nine Quarters of Jerusalem’ book launch live from Jerusalem. This event was jointly organised by the Bethlehem Cultural Festival, Educational Bookshop Jerusalem and Balfour Project. ..a … Continue reading →

Rt Hon Tom Brake Tom Brake is Director of Unlock Democracy. Brake became Deputy Leader of the House of Commons in October 2012 and was also appointed as an Assistant Government Whip in November 2014. He was the Liberal Democrat MP … Continue reading →

1. Why are you called the Balfour Project? First and foremost, the Balfour Project team are not apologists for or supporters of Arthur Balfour. In 1917 the British Government issued the Balfour Declaration, a short statement pledging its support for … Continue reading →

What is Gift Aid? Gift Aid is a scheme which allows charities to claim extra money from HMRC. A charity can claim an extra 25p for every £1 you donate if you pay at least the basic rate of tax and … Continue reading →

Help our vital work by leaving a gift in your will. A legacy gift will allow you to play an important part in helping to continue our work. A legacy gift is a unique and very meaningful type of gift. … Continue reading →

The Balfour Project opposes and condemns racism and racial, religious and ethnic prejudice of all types. We believe in the promotion of a society that is tolerant and understanding of all races, cultures, and faiths. In particular, and bearing in … Continue reading →

Published by Liz Lightfoot in The Guardian on 8 June 2021. The government has warned schools to ensure a balanced presentation of opposing views on the conflict between Israel and Palestine, which claimed more than 250 lives last month and sparked a … Continue reading →

2021 Action Plan Goal Build broad, Cross-Party support in Parliament for British Government action to advance equal rights between Israelis and Palestinians, contributing to ending the Occupation of 1967. There is urgency: Israel’s political leadership is opposed to (and systematically … Continue reading →

House of Lords, 21 June 1922 By William M Mathew Contents PART IPART IIPART III   PART I On 21 June 1922, following his elevation to the peerage a few weeks earlier, Arthur Balfour – now the Earl of Balfour … Continue reading →

A statement from the Foreign Secretary, Dominic Raab, on the postponement of elections in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said: It is disappointing that elections in the Occupied Palestinian Territories have been postponed. The Palestinian people should … Continue reading →

What is more likely to incite violence? Military occupation for 53 years. Over 650,000 Israelis in illegal settlements in the occupied Palestinian West Bank, including East Jerusalem 12,000 new settler housing units approved by the Israeli Government in 2020, plus … Continue reading →

UK charities statement on the Prime Minister’s comments on the International Criminal Court (ICC) investigation – 14 April 2021 We condemn the Prime Minister’s statement on the ICC’s investigation into alleged gravecrimes committed in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt). This … Continue reading →

The head of the Palestinian mission to the United Kingdom, Husam Zomlot, has made the following statement: The announcement by UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson in a letter to the Conservative Friends of Israel that the UK opposes the International … Continue reading →

We, the undersigned, share our deep concern at the threat of illegal Israeli annexation of any part of the occupied Palestinian West Bank. Unilateral annexation is a grave breach of international law, and a further obstacle to achieving equal rights … Continue reading →

We, the undersigned, share our deep concern at the threat of illegal Israeli annexation of any part of the occupied Palestinian West Bank. Unilateral annexation is a grave breach of international law, and a further obstacle to achieving equal rights … Continue reading →

By Nathan Thrall, published in The New York Review, 19 March 2021. One man’s quest to find his son lays bare the reality of Palestinian life under Israeli rule. This article, from the New York Review of Books, explains the … Continue reading →

Sayeeda Hussain Warsi is a British lawyer, politician and member of the House of Lords who served as co-Chairwoman of the Conservative Party from 2010 to 2012. She served in Cameron–Clegg coalition, first as the Minister without portfolio between 2010 … Continue reading →