On Sunday, leaders from around the world commemorated 100 years since the San Remo Conference, which is recognised as one of the key moments in Zionist history.
Post World War 1 in April 1920, the San Remo Declaration gave Britain the responsibility of enacting what had been expressed in the Balfour Declaration three years earlier, that pledged “the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people.”
Held in the Italian north-western town, the UK, France, Italy and Japan agreed to split the Ottoman Empire into three separate parts. One of which would later become the British Mandate of Palestine.
The San Remo Conference is crucial to recognise as a turning point in Zionist history as this was the first marker of Israel’s right to exist in international law.
World leaders on Sunday recorded video messages for a virtual conference to mark the centenary, organised by pro-Israel group, European Coalition for Israel.
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said the centenary of the San Remo conference “provides an opportunity to not just reflect on decades of cooperation between our peoples — but also to look forward to an even stronger friendship in the future”.
In his message, Foreign Secretary Raab stressed Britain’s role in establishing a homeland for the Jewish people, underlining that San Remo “marked a new chapter in the history of our collaboration – bilateral relations that continue to go from strength to strength in the twenty-first century”.
Other dignitaries who sent statements included Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Czech President Milos Zeman, former Prime Minister Tony Blair, former Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and former Finnish Prime Minister Juha Sipilä.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a recorded video message for a virtual conference organized by Christian pro-Israel group, European Coalition for Israel: “In San Remo, the victorious allied powers of World War I recognized the Jewish people’s right of self-determination”.
The ECI, based in Brussels had planned a celebration of the centenary, but due to the Covid-19 pandemic, chose to postpone it and instead hold an online ceremony with Israeli officials commenting on the importance of the Conference.
