Today, 2nd November 2017, marks the 100th anniversary of the Balfour Declaration. To mark this milestone in the UK and Israel’s shared history, over 100 Conservative MPs and Lords have co-signed a letter published in The Daily Telegraph. The letter – coordinated by Conservative Friends of Israel – celebrates the centenary and the UK-Israel relationship.
The Conservative parliamentarians joined the Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary in “marking this anniversary with pride, and celebrating the friendship between the UK and Israel”.
In the letter – “one of the most important in history” – they hail the successes of the Jewish State, which has become “one of modern history’s most remarkable success stories – a thriving democracy and a high-tech powerhouse”.
“As the architects of the Balfour Declaration”, they write, “the UK retains a key role to play in the Middle East Peace Process”. They share their hope that this centenary year will be the year “we can finally see progress towards a lasting two-state solution that guarantees security and dignity for the Israeli and Palestinian people”.
Signatories of the letter include CFI’s Honorary President Lord Polak CBE, as well as Rt. Hon. Mark Harper MP, Rt. Hon. Baroness Neville-Jones DCMG, Rt. Hon. Lord Trimble, Rt. Hon. Theresa Villiers MP and Nadhim Zahawi MP. The full list can be found below.
The centenary today completes a year of celebrations, culminating tonight in a dinner co-hosted by the current Lord Balfour and Lord Rothschild, to be attended by Prime Minister Theresa May and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is in London at Mrs May’s invitation.
The Balfour Declaration was a letter from Conservative Foreign Secretary Arthur James Balfour to Lord Rothschild (as a representative of the British Jewish Community and for passing on to the Zionist Federation) on 2nd November 1917 promising support for the creation of a national homeland for the Jewish people in the land of Israel.
Click here to read the letter in the Telegraph.
The full letter appears as follows:
“Sir – Today marks the centenary of the Balfour Declaration; one of the most important letters in history which paved the way for the founding of the State of Israel in 1948.
We join the Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary in marking this anniversary with pride, and celebrating the friendship between the UK and Israel.
It is fitting that the democratically elected leader of the world’s only Jewish state will join the Prime Minister in London today for this landmark moment in our two nations’ history.
At less than 70 years old, Israel has become one of modern history’s most remarkable success stories – a thriving democracy and a high-tech powerhouse.
As the architects of the Balfour Declaration, the UK retains a key role to play in the Middle East Peace Process and we hope that in this centennial year we can finally see progress towards a lasting two-state solution that guarantees security and dignity for the Israeli and Palestinian people”.
Lord Polak CBE, CFI Honorary President
Rt. Hon. Mark Harper MP
Rt. Hon. Baroness Neville-Jones DCMG
Rt. Hon. Lord Trimble
Rt. Hon. Theresa Villiers MP
Nadhim Zahawi MP
Lucy Allan MP
Baroness Altmann CBE
Rt. Hon. Lord Arbuthnot
Baroness Bertin
Bob Blackman MP
Peter Bone MP
Andrew Bowie MP
Andrew Bridgen MP
Lord Caine
Maria Caulfield MP
Colin Clark MP
Simon Clarke MP
James Cleverly MP
Robert Courts MP
Rt. Hon. Stephen Crabb MP
Philip Davies MP
Chris Davies MP
David Davies MP
Jonathan Djanogly MP
Oliver Dowden CBE MP
Baroness Eaton DBE DL
Michael Fabricant MP
Lord Farmer
Lord Feldman
Suella Fernandes MP
Lucy Frazer QC MP
George Freeman MP
Lord Gadhia
Lord Gold
Zac Goldsmith MP
Lord Grade of Yarmouth CBE
Chris Green MP
Rt. Hon. Robert Halfon MP
Baroness Harding of Winscombe
Trudy Harrison MP
Gordon Henderson MP
John Howell OBE MP
Nigel Huddleston MP
Alister Jack MP
Bernard Jenkin MP
Baroness Jenkin of Kennington
Andrea Jenkyns MP
Robert Jenrick MP
Lord Kirkhope of Harrogate
Rt. Hon. Gregory Knight MP
John Lamont MP
Rt. Hon. Lord Lansley CBE
Pauline Latham OBE MP
Jeremy Lefroy MP
Lord Leigh of Hurley
Jack Lopresti MP
Craig Mackinlay MP
Rachel Maclean MP
Alan Mak MP
Baroness Manzoor CBE
Paul Masterton MP
Lord McInnes of Kilwinning CBE
Stephen McPartland MP
Johnny Mercer MP
Damien Moore MP
Rt. Hon. Nicky Morgan MP
Mr James Morris MP
Robert Neill MP
Baroness Newlove
Baroness O’Cathain OBE
Dr Matthew Offord MP
John Penrose MP
Andrew Percy MP
Chris Philp MP
Lord Popat
Dr Daniel Poulter MP
Mark Pritchard MP
Tom Pursglove MP
Will Quince MP
Baroness Redfern
Mary Robinson MP
Andrew Rosindell MP
Douglas Ross MP
Lee Rowley MP
Paul Scully MP
Baroness Shields OBE
Lord Shinkwin
Royston Smith MP
Lord Sterling of Plaistow GCVO CBE
Iain Stewart MP
Lord Suri
Robert Syms MP
Rt. Hon. Lord Tebbit CH
Derek Thomas MP
Ross Thomson MP
Maggie Throup MP
Michael Tomlinson MP
Justin Tomlinson MP
Craig Tracey MP
Martin Vickers MP
Lord Wasserman
Rt. Hon. John Whittingdale OBE MP
