Image above: British soldiers marching through Jerusalem during World War I
world war i
Image above: Ottoman cavalry unit mounted on camels
Image below: Balfour and his letter to Lord Rothschild |
Great Britain and France were involved in World War I campaigns in the Sinai Peninsula, Palestine and Mesopotamia. In an attempt to keep control over the region after the war was over, Great Britain tried to negotiate with other parties involved in the war. In these talks, a series of promises by Great Britain set the stage for major conflict.
McMahon's Letter In 1915, Britain’s High Commissioner in Egypt, Sir Henry McMahon, sent a letter to Hussein bin Ali, Sharif (Muslim ruler) of Mecca. In the letter, McMahon said Britain would support Arab independence if the Arabs would help Britain defeat Turks (Ottomans) along western Mediterranean Coast (present day Israel). Click here to read the text of the letter. Sykes and Picot Agreement In 1916, the British secretly negotiated the Sykes and Picot Agreement with the French. The agreement divided up the Middle East after the war. France would take northern regions, while Great Britain would claim the middle and southern territories. Judea is carved out as a separate international property, and multiple states would oversee this area. Click here to read more about the Sykes and Picot Agreement. The Balfour Declaration In 1917, the Foreign Secretary of the UK, Arthur James Balfour sent a letter to Lord Rothschild, a leading member of the Jewish community. This letter became known as the Balfour Declaration. In it, Balfour promised to help establish Palestine as the national home for the Jewish people. It also stated that a Jewish state in Palestine couldn't disrupt the civil and religious rights of non-Jews. So Britain made two conflicting promises. The British promised to support an independent Arab state, but they also told the Jews they could have Palestine. |