PA Foreign Minister: UK Foreign Secretary should issue a promise recognizing a Palestinian state like Balfour did for the Jews
Headline: “Al-Malki: The Johnson Promise to mirror the Balfour [Promise]”
“[PA] Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Riyad Al-Malki demanded that Britain [make] a promise similar to the Balfour Promise (i.e., Declaration) by recognizing the State of Palestine. During a meeting that he held yesterday [Aug. 22, 2017] at the [PA] Ministry [of Foreign Affairs] building with British Minister of State for [the Department for] Middle East Affairs and International Development Alistair Burt, Al-Malki criticized the preparations to mark [the 100th anniversary of] the Balfour Promise, which represents the Palestinian tragedy. He emphasized that this celebration of the promise constitutes the celebration of 100 years of the Palestinian people’s suffering. Al-Malki said: ‘Balfour became famous for promising the Jews to establish a state [for them] on the land of Palestine. I demand that Britain’s current Foreign Secretary [Boris Johnson] become famous for giving a promise to the Palestinians, which will be called “the Johnson Promise,” by recognizing the State of Palestine.’”
The Balfour Declaration of Nov. 2, 1917 was a letter from British Foreign Secretary Arthur Balfour to Baron Rothschild stating that “His Majesty's government views with favour the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people.” In 1922, the League of Nations adopted this and made the British Mandate “responsible for putting into effect the declaration,” which led to the UN vote in 1947 and the establishment of the State of Israel.
“[PA] Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Riyad Al-Malki demanded that Britain [make] a promise similar to the Balfour Promise (i.e., Declaration) by recognizing the State of Palestine. During a meeting that he held yesterday [Aug. 22, 2017] at the [PA] Ministry [of Foreign Affairs] building with British Minister of State for [the Department for] Middle East Affairs and International Development Alistair Burt, Al-Malki criticized the preparations to mark [the 100th anniversary of] the Balfour Promise, which represents the Palestinian tragedy. He emphasized that this celebration of the promise constitutes the celebration of 100 years of the Palestinian people’s suffering. Al-Malki said: ‘Balfour became famous for promising the Jews to establish a state [for them] on the land of Palestine. I demand that Britain’s current Foreign Secretary [Boris Johnson] become famous for giving a promise to the Palestinians, which will be called “the Johnson Promise,” by recognizing the State of Palestine.’”
The Balfour Declaration of Nov. 2, 1917 was a letter from British Foreign Secretary Arthur Balfour to Baron Rothschild stating that “His Majesty's government views with favour the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people.” In 1922, the League of Nations adopted this and made the British Mandate “responsible for putting into effect the declaration,” which led to the UN vote in 1947 and the establishment of the State of Israel.