In the name of Allah the most Merciful

Statement issued by the Islamic Resistance Movement "Hamas"

Balfour's Declaration (crime of the century) ... requires a British apology, compensation and rectification.

The Balfour Declaration, the crime and setback of the century, boldly and daringly advocated by the British government with the stroke of a pen, erased the history, culture and heritage of the Palestinian people who have always been the legitimate citizens of Palestine. Britain, through the Balfour Declaration, paved the way for the establishment of a “Jewish State” which ultimately led to the century-long oppression, massacre, persecution, and arrest of thousands of Palestinians . Britain has unlawfully granted Israel an illegal state on the basis of “grant he, the unworthy, what he doesn’t own”. 

Britain, during its occupation of Palestine, worked by all means to implement the Balfour Declaration to establish a "national homeland for the Jews in Palestine", ignoring the rights of the Palestinian population of this country. Britain denied the essence of its mission as a mandate power under the Charter of the League of Nations, and premeditated - towards the Palestinian people unjust policies and appointed British officials in support of Zionism in Palestine to achieve its goal of empowering the Jews on the Palestinian land and developing the military, economic, educational and social structures of the Jews. Such steps were not only catastrophic for the rights of Palestinians, but also opened the door for regional wars, conflicts, suffering and blood-shed.

Our steadfast Palestinian people, our Arab and Islamic nations, a hundred years on, the Balfour Declaration means tens of thousands of martyrs, wounded, and detainees and more than six million citizens displaced from their homeland. It means a hundred years of sacrifices in which the people of Palestinian created history by resisting the Israeli Occupation and re-enacting the David and Goliath standoff with nothing more but a slingshot as an initial stage.  One hundred years on, we reiterate the following:

First, the Balfour Declaration, which was based on the granting of land without people to a people without land, is a lie that contradicts the given reality on the ground, for the Palestinians have been entrenched in Palestine like the Roman olive trees.

Second, the "Balfour Declaration" – “grant he, the unworthy, what he doesn’t own”, is the theft of Palestinian history, culture, civilization and life,  and replaced by an Occupying force based on lies, slander and domination and not on the power of logic and truth.

Third, our great people have resisted and defied the Declaration by the numerous revolutions and uprisings carried out through the past 100 years, the last of which is the on-going Al-Aqsa Intifada.

Four, our great people have never hesitated to sacrifice their lives for freedom, for they faced, with bare chests, the ruthless Israeli Occupation that Britain is complicit in establishing.  It’s fair to say that Balfour was foolish when he thought that Palestine was uninhabitable and the disgraceful decision of Britain’s Prime Minister, Theresa May, to commemorate and voice her pride in Britain’s role in establishing Israel on the 100th anniversary of the disastrous Balfour Declaration, and to continue to disregard the rights of the Palestinian people and intensify their suffering, proves the tyrannical nature of May as she continues to support the crimes, persecution and displacement of the Palestinian people. 

Fifth, Britain committed a historic massacre against a people with existence, culture and history. It is now obliged to atone for its sin by restoring the rights of the Palestinian people, issuing an apology to the Palestinian people and guaranteeing  their right of return as well as their right for freedom and independence.  

Six, the long years of occupation have unified our people and enforced their self-reliance towards their freedom.

Seven, Netanyahu’s commemoration of the Balfour Declaration and his ultimate dream of celebrating the establishment of Israel will be short lived for our fighters will regain the rights of the  Palestinian people in the near future. 

To our great people, to the oppressive Israeli Occupation, history doesn’t  forget nor forgive. We will never surrender and the Israeli Occupation will eventually pay a heavy price for the crimes committed against the Palestinian people.

Islamic Resistance Movement “Hamas”

Corresponding to: 31 / October / 2017