WZO finally responds to Lord Balfour
100 years later, the thank you is in the mail
One hundred years after Arthur James Balfour penned the historic Balfour Declaration to Baron Lionel Walter Rothschild, the World Zionist Organization decided the time had come to send a response.
Balfour had requested that Rothschild transmit the letter to the Zionist Federation of Great Britain and Ireland, but, according to the WZO, until now the umbrella organization never sent him a formal response.
“Honorable Lord Arthur James Balfour, First and foremost, allow me to express our deep regret over the delay in response,” WZO vice chairman Yaakov Hagoel wrote in the letter, which he posted to the Balfour family while in London for a WZO conference on antisemitism last weekend.
“The Zionist leaders welcomed Lord Rothschild’s message in which His Majesty’s Government provided its recognition to the Zionist desire to establish a Jewish national home in its historical homeland – Israel. With
a profound sense of gratitude for all your efforts promoting this goal, we wish to inform you that the endeavor was successful, and that the State of Israel was founded and serves as the national home of the Jewish people, welcoming Jews from all countries of the Diaspora,” he continued.
Hagoel proceeded to address all aspects of the Balfour Declaration, which stated that “nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine, or the rights and political status enjoyed by Jews in any other country.”
Hagoel’s letter discussed how minority rights are protected in the Jewish state, detailing the presence of different parts of society in the Knesset, the judiciary and the IDF.
He stated that “Israel today is a Jewish and democratic country, deeply dedicated to the development of all its citizens and the advancement of freedom, justice and peace. Israel is doing its utmost to ensure equality of social and political rights to all its citizens, and strives to safeguard diversity of language, religion and conscience, regardless of sexual orientation or race.”
He acknowledged, however, that Israel also suffers from acts of violence, racism and crime, and is working to fight such phenomena.
He also lamented that the Jewish people around the world still face antisemitism, incitement, prejudice and humiliation, and noted that in Britain there is “an alarming rise in antisemitism,” and specifically mentioned the presence of the issue within the Labour Party.
“The 2017 United Nations is attempting to officially sever the Jewish people’s ancient historical heritage ties to its national homeland, the letter continues. “Our Arab neighbors are currently demanding from Britain to renounce the Balfour Declaration and its implications and are threatening legal action against Britain if it refuses to do so.
“Honorable Lord Balfour, 100 years have passed since your government has recognized our right to reconstitute a national home in Israel. Our national homeland gathered millions of Jews from all over the Diaspora, highly educated professionals, wellversed in the sciences and technology, bringing progress and making our country a thriving leader in dozens of fields. We are committed to a future in which we will build, rebuild and improve, conscientiously sustaining our position as beacon of hope for the entire region, founded on the basis of freedom, independence and equality,” the letter concluded. •