When the British foreign secretary handed over what would thereafter be known as the Balfour Declaration to Zionist leader Lord Rothschild, he could not have guessed at the ramifications of those 67 words on the Middle East, or that they would persist a century later.
As the centenary of the Declaration approaches on November 2, British parliamentarians from different parties signed a redrafted version of the document, which urges the British government to recognise the state of Palestine on the basis of the pre-June 1967 lines.
“The centenary of the Balfour Declaration is the time to reconcile peace with justice for both Israelis and Palestinians, consistent with the principle Britain claims as her own: equal rights for all under law,” the statement begins.
At the launch of the new Centenary Declaration document, signatory and Labour member of parliament Richard Burden said the original document had left “unfinished business” and had failed to protect the existing rights of Palestinians.
“There were two promises in Balfour. One was to voice British support for a national home for the Jewish people in Palestine,” Mr Burden said. “The second was a commitment that nothing would be done that would prejudice the existing civil and religious rights of non-Jewish communities in Palestine, in other words the people of Palestine. That promise has never, ever been fulfilled.”
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Read more:
Balfour Declaration: how Britain broke its feeble promise to Palestinians
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UK celebrations 'highlight government role in denying Palestinians statehood'
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Mr Burden is one of 66 politicians, diplomats and people of standing to have signed the new declaration alongside Conservative Peer Lord Cope, who is married to a Palestinian.
“The time has come to recognise Palestine — that is why I’ve signed this declaration,” Lord Cope explained.
On Tuesday evening, 1,000 people gathered in Westminster to hear the new version of the document in an event, organised by the Balfour Project, designed to mark but not to celebrate the 100-year anniversary of the declaration.
The launch comes as Britain’s foreign secretary Boris Johnson echoed Prime Minister Theresa May’s comments last week, which appeared to defend the original Balfour Declaration.
Mr Johnson said on Monday that he was “proud of Britain’s part in creating Israel”, while Mrs May said she would be “marking the centenary with pride” in the House of Commons last week, ahead of a dinner with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu in London to commemorate the centenary.
Balfour Centenary Declaration signatory and Labour MP Andy Slaughter said the government appeared to be contradicting itself on whether the centenary was a moment of celebration or not.
“I think it’s worrying as a trend, that all the formal pronouncements and statements the government has made on Balfour, they’ve been very careful in their language and in particular not to use the word celebrating,” Mr Slaughter said.
“But then the foreign secretary said he was celebrating the Balfour Declaration yesterday. That either shows that he’s not keeping to his brief or he’s putting forward a view of his own.”
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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Under 19 Cricket World Cup, Asia Qualifier
Fixtures
Friday, April 12, Malaysia v UAE
Saturday, April 13, UAE v Nepal
Monday, April 15, UAE v Kuwait
Tuesday, April 16, UAE v Singapore
Thursday, April 18, UAE v Oman
UAE squad
Aryan Lakra (captain), Aaron Benjamin, Akasha Mohammed, Alishan Sharafu, Anand Kumar, Ansh Tandon, Ashwanth Valthapa, Karthik Meiyappan, Mohammed Faraazuddin, Rishab Mukherjee, Niel Lobo, Osama Hassan, Vritya Aravind, Wasi Shah
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The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
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Timeline
1947
Ferrari’s road-car company is formed and its first badged car, the 125 S, rolls off the assembly line
1962
250 GTO is unveiled
1969
Fiat becomes a Ferrari shareholder, acquiring 50 per cent of the company
1972
The Fiorano circuit, Ferrari’s racetrack for development and testing, opens
1976
First automatic Ferrari, the 400 Automatic, is made
1987
F40 launched
1988
Enzo Ferrari dies; Fiat expands its stake in the company to 90 per cent
2002
The Enzo model is announced
2010
Ferrari World opens in Abu Dhabi
2011
First four-wheel drive Ferrari, the FF, is unveiled
2013
LaFerrari, the first Ferrari hybrid, arrives
2014
Fiat Chrysler announces the split of Ferrari from the parent company
2015
Ferrari launches on Wall Street
2017
812 Superfast unveiled; Ferrari celebrates its 70th anniversary
UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food
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Director: Magizh Thirumeni
Stars: Ajith Kumar, Arjun Sarja, Trisha Krishnan, Regina Cassandra
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• Scientists estimate there could be as many as 3 million fungal species globally
• Only about 160,000 have been officially described leaving around 90% undiscovered
• Fungi account for roughly 90% of Earth's unknown biodiversity
• Forest fungi help tackle climate change, absorbing up to 36% of global fossil fuel emissions annually and storing around 5 billion tonnes of carbon in the planet's topsoil
Charlotte Gainsbourg
Rest
(Because Music)
Specs
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3) Be aware of people asking to test drive the car alone
4) Try not to close the sale at night
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6) Call 901 if you see any suspicious behaviour
Netherlands v UAE, Twenty20 International series
Saturday, August 3 - First T20i, Amstelveen
Monday, August 5 – Second T20i, Amstelveen
Tuesday, August 6 – Third T20i, Voorburg
Thursday, August 8 – Fourth T20i, Vooryburg
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
MATCH INFO
Everton 2 Southampton 1
Everton: Walcott (15'), Richarlison (31' )
Southampton: Ings (54')
Man of the match: Theo Walcott (Everton)
COMPANY PROFILE
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Founders: Roman Axelrod, Valentyn Volkov
Based: Dubai, UAE
Industry: Smart contact lenses, augmented/virtual reality
Funding: $40 million
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'Nightmare Alley'
Director:Guillermo del Toro
Stars:Bradley Cooper, Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara
Rating: 3/5
RACE CARD
6.30pm: Handicap (TB) $68,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
7.05pm: Meydan Sprint – Group 2 (TB) $163,000 (Turf) 1,000m
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8.50pm: Zabeel Mile – Group 2 (TB) $163,000 (T) 1,600m
9.25pm: Balanchine – Group 2 (TB) $163,000 (T) 1,800m
10pm: Al Shindagha Sprint – Group 3 (TB) $130,000 (D) 1,200m