Balfour's Shadow

David Cronin

Description

This is the controversial history of the British government's involvement in the Zionist project, from the Balfour Declaration in 1917 to the present day.



Written by the British Foreign Secretary Arthur James Balfour, the Declaration stated 'His Majesty's government view with favour the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people, and will use their best endeavours to facilitate the achievement of this object.' Its impact on history has been immense and still reverberates a century later, starting what has been referred to as a hundred years of war against the Palestinian people.



This history focuses on the devastating events which resulted from the Declaration, such as the Arab Revolt, the Nakba and establishment of the state, the 1956 and 1967 wars, the Cold War and the Oslo period. It also shines a light on controversial figures such as Tony Blair. In doing so, Balfour's Shadow provides a fascinating take on this much-contested, important history.
Timeline of Key Events

Text of Balfour Declaration

Introduction

1. Laying the Foundations

2. Bringing in the Black and Tans

3. ‘We Must Shoot to Kill’

4. Sowing the Seeds of Ethnic Cleansing

5. Arming Israel (1953-1956)

6. Arming Israel (1957-1979)

7. Sidelining the PLO

8. The Loyal Lieutenant

9. Partners in Crime

Postscript: Israel’s Greatest Friend?

Notes

Acknowledgements

Index

Sujets

• International Relations
• Post-Colonialism
• Political Science
• 20th Century
• Modern
• HISTORY
• Invasión (desambiguación)
• Arthur James Balfour
• Nakba
• Organización de las Naciones Unidas
• 1948 Palestinian exodus
• Balfour Declaration
• Israel
• Mandate Palestine
• Modern history
• History of the Middle East
• Geopolitics
• General officer
• Palestinian territories
• Zionism
• West Bank
• United Nations
• Palestinian National Authority
• Middle East
• Jerusalem
• Imperialism
• Colonialism
• British Empire
• Palestine
• Invasion
• Impérialisme (jeu vidéo)
• General
• Arthur Balfour
• Lebanon
• Obermodern-Zutzendorf
• Guerre de Palestine de 1948
• Gaza
• 1967
• 1948
• Organisation des Nations unies

Informations

• Publié par: Pluto Press
• Date de parution: 20 juin 2017
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781786801074
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 2 Mo

Extrait

‘The most dramatic centenary account of the Balfour Declaration.’
Robert Fisk
‘Like his other books, David Cronin’s latest work sheds light in the dark corners of
western imperialist policies that wreak havoc in most of the world. This one about
British policies over the 100 years since Balfour is worthy of reading not only by
every British person interested in truth but all humans who yearn for peace and
justice.’
Mazin Qumsiyeh, Professor at Bethlehem University
‘It is not surprising that each year the November anniversary of the Balfour promise
is celebrated by British friends of Israel and mourned by millions of dispossessed
Palestinian refugees. Speaking the truth about the catastrophic consequences of
British support for Zionism, this amply documented book shows how Britain erected
and for decades maintained the scaffolding that gave birth to a settler-colonial state
in Palestine and the Palestinian Nakba. Acknowledging Britain’s moral
responsibility towards the Palestinians is a key message of this timely and courageous book. A
must read for those seeking truth and reconciliation in the Middle East.’
Nur Masalha, editor, Journal of Holy Land and Palestine Studies
‘“Journalists”, David Cronin tells us, “have a duty to cause trouble for the
powerful.” This sense of duty informs every word of Balfour’s Shadow. From
Foreign Secretary Balfour’s illegitimate 1917 promise to the Jews of a homeland in
Palestine to Tony Blair’s global grandstanding and profiteering on Israel’s behalf in
the twenty-first century, Cronin exposes Britain as an enabler of Israeli apartheid.
Cronin blends indignation with meticulous objectivity in an alternative history that
is concise but comprehensive.’
Raymond Deane, Composer
‘David Cronin describes vividly how, by deception, Britain’s imperial designs
and perceived need for international Jewish support in wartime gave birth to the
Balfour Declaration of November 1917, which handed Arab Palestine to the Zionist
Movement, as a “Jewish national home” or Jewish state. Cronin examines Britain’s
continuing pernicious, deadly and lucrative relationship with Israel, its political
support for Israel’s war crimes and theft of Arab land and the mutual arms trade.’
Tim Llewellyn, former BBC Middle East Correspondent‘Theresa May vowed in a recent speech to the Conservative Friends of Israel to mark
the centenary of the Balfour Declaration “with pride” and to take the UK–Israeli
relationship to “the next level”. Balfour’s Shadow challenges May’s propagandist
celebration through its exposure of the declaration’s fundamental illegitimacy,
supported by a wealth of factual detail on arms and money transfers, methods of
repression, and the racist discourse through which the British Mandate prepared the
establishment of Israel and ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people.’
Rosemary Sayigh, author of Palestinians: From Peasants to Revolutionaries
and Too Many Enemies: The Palestinian Experience in Lebanon
‘Balfour’s Shadow is a passionate, cogently argued presentation of the tragic and
devastating consequences of the 1917 Balfour Declaration. Cronin’s work provides
a unique insight into the historic and current relationship between Britain, Israel and
the Palestinians.’
Selma Dabbagh, novelist and playwright 
‘This superb book is a revelation, uncovering the dreadful history – and present – of
Britain’s connivance with Israeli atrocities. It is also badly-needed given the silence
that has largely prevailed, in both academia and media, on the crucial relationship
between British and Israeli governments. It really deserves to be widely read and
understood.’
Mark Curtis, author of Secret Affairs: Britain’s Collusion with Radical IslamBalfour’s ShadowBalfour’s Shadow
A Century of British Support
for Zionism and Israel
David CroninFirst published 2017 by Pluto Press
345 Archway Road, London N6 5AA
www.plutobooks.com
Copyright © David Cronin 2017
The right of David Cronin to be identified as the author of this work has been
asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
ISBN 978 0 7453 9944 7 Hardback
ISBN 978 0 7453 9943 0 Paperback
ISBN 978 1 7868 0107 4 PDF eBook
ISBN 978 1 7868 0109 8 Kindle eBook
ISBN 978 1 7868 0108 1 EPUB eBook
This book is printed on paper suitable for recycling and made from fully managed
and sustained forest sources. Logging, pulping and manufacturing processes are
expected to conform to the environmental standards of the country of origin.
Typeset by Stanford DTP Services, Northampton, England
Simultaneously printed in the United Kingdom and United States of AmericaContents
Timeline of key events ix
Text of Balfour Declarationxii
Introduction1
1. Laying the foundations 4
Rumours of Russia6
The golden key9
Cousins divided 12
2. Bringing in the Black and Tans 15
Copper-fastened by Churchill 18
‘A certain ruthlessness’ 21
Teaching a lesson 26
Guns for the colonies 28
‘Down with the English’ 35
3. ‘We must shoot to kill’ 39
Discretion to destroy 45
Bad villages 50
Dirty war 53
4. Sowing the seeds of ethnic cleansing 58
A strained alliance 60
‘Corpse city’ 63
Carving up Palestine 70
Midwifing a miracle? 74
5. Arming Israel (1953–1956) 79
Pressure from Peres 81
Skullduggery over Suez 85
A killing spree in Gaza 90balfour’s shadow
6. Arming Israel (1957–1979) 93
Shopping for submarines 95
Greasing the wheels of occupation 97
‘We cannot afford morality’ 101
‘Seize every order’ 104
7. Sidelining the PLO 110
Kowtowing to Kissinger 112
A patronising attitude 117
Humouring Israel 119
Rallying behind Reagan 123
8. The loyal lieutenant 135
A swift peace? 138
‘Get rid of Saddam’ 141
Palestine’s police state 143
Suffering for Israel? 148
Spindoctor for a siege 154
9. Partners in crime 161
Devoted to drones 163
Eyeing big orders 166
Clegg’s crocodile tears 168
Conservative cheerleading 170
Smearing solidarity 173
Postscript: Israel’s greatest friend? 177
Notes 181
Acknowledgements214
Index215
viiiTimeline of key events
November 1917 British government declares its support for the
objective of establishing a ‘Jewish national
home’ in Palestine.
December 1917 British Army captures Jerusalem.
April 1920 San Remo conference of allied powers agrees to
place Palestine under British administration.
June 1920 Herbert Samuel arrives in Palestine as Britain’s
first high commissioner.
May 1921 Riots in Jaffa; Britain responds to this and
subsequent unrest by sending extra security
forces to Palestine.
May 1922 Winston Churchill, then colonial secretary,
publishes a white paper on Palestine. It
reconfirms commitment to Balfour Declaration
but denies that Britain wants Palestine to be
‘wholly Jewish’.
August 1929 British forces suppress riots in Jerusalem and
other Palestinian cities.
October 1933 British forces attack Palestinian protesters in
Jaffa.
April 1936 General strike declared by Palestinians’ political
leadership; revolt against Zionism and British
administration begins.
June 1936 British authorities destroy Palestinian homes in
Jaffa’s Old City.
ixbalfour’s shadow
July 1937 Commission appointed by the British
government recommends mass transfer of
Palestinians – ‘voluntary or otherwise’ – so that
Jewish state may be established.
March 1939 British government drafts white paper
recommending that Palestine become an
independent state, where ‘Jews and Arabs share
government’, within a decade.
Summer 1939 British Army states that the Palestinian revolt
has been ‘smashed’.
November 1944 Armed Zionist group, the Lehi, assassinates
Walter Guinness, a British politician, in Cairo.
July 1946 Another Zionist group, the Irgun, bombs British
government offices in Jerusalem’s King David
Hotel.
September 1947 UN General Assembly votes for separate Jewish
and Arab states to be formed in Palestine.
Spring–Summer 1948 Zionist forces undertake major ethnic cleansing
campaign in Palestine.
May 1948 British rule in Palestine ends; state of Israel
formally established.
May 1950 Britain, the USA and France sign Tripartite
Declaration on limiting arms supplies to the
Middle East.
October 1956 Israel attacks Egypt, implementing a secret plan
drafted with Britain and France.
January 1959 Britain signs contract to supply Israel with
Centurion tanks; various similar deals follow.
June 1967 Israel goes to war with Arab neighbours, making
heavy use of weapons supplied by Britain.
October 1973 War between Israel, Egypt and Syria.
xtimeline of key events
June 1980 Supported by Margaret Thatcher’s government,
the European Economic Community issues
declaration on Israel–Palestine conflict.
September 1982 Thatcher condemns massacres by Israel’s proxy
forces in Lebanon as ‘barbaric’.
May 1986 Thatcher undertakes first official visit by British
prime minister to present-day Israel.
December 1987 First Palestinian uprising – or intifada – begins.
September 1993 Israel and PLO sign Oslo accords; Britain
declares full support for this ‘peace’ deal.
September 2000 Second intifada begins.
August 2005 Contract signed to supply British Army with
Israeli-designed drones.
November 2005 European Union launches first policing mission
for the West Bank and Gaza, with significant
British involvement.
July 2006 Israel attacks Lebanon, with support from Tony
Blair, then Britain’s prime minister.
June 2007 Blair named as representative for Middle East
Quartet (the EU, USA, UN and Russia).
July 2008 Gordon Brown becomes first British prime
minister to address Israel’s parliament, the
Knesset.
December 2008 Israel launches Operation Cast Lead, a major
attack on Gaza, almost certainly using British
weapons.
July 2014 Israel launches Operation Protective Edge,
another offensive against Gaza.
December 2016 Theresa May promises to mark centenary of
Bal