The Case for an Apology to be presented to the
Palestinian People
Professor Dr. George Jabbour, Syria
Founding Member, Arab Political Science Association,
President, Political Science Association of Syria.
Email:drjabbour@gmail.com
A personal memo, Damascus, 15
may 2016,
Directed to whom it may concern.
Key points:
1-
The importance
of the Balfour declaration in Zionist history
2-
How should we, and the world, deal with the centennial
of the Declaration?
3-
Apologies and World politics: an Overview.
4-
Who should apologize: the UK, the UK and the
US? The UK, the US and the United Nations?
5-
Who should lead? The PLO? The Palestinian
State? The Resistance Movement? The NGO
s Supporting the Palestinian Rights? The Arab and Islamic states? The
non-aligned movement?
6-
Some History: Jabbour s Open letter to the UK PM
of 2 Oct. 2002 asking for an apology, and the apparent reply of Jack Straw , the
UK Foreign Minister, with his "little phrase ", gently criticizing
the Declaration , on 16 Nov. 2002.
7-
Some
History: The December 2006 Resolution of
the Conf. of Arab and Islamic Movements in Doha, Qatar , recommending a
decade-long (2007-2017)working plan to weaken the foundations on which the
Declaration was built.
8-
How to
Proceed?
9-
Concluding Remarks: The wisdom of the effort
is simple. The more the text of the Balfour declaration is publicized, read,
and explained, the more people will understand the gravity of the injustice
that was inflicted on the Palestinian people. Slave Trade was legal before
1815. It was no more after. Settler Colonial enterprises were considered rather
normal, even ethical, after the discovery of the new world. They became
abhorrent in the context of the 20th century, especially after the
establishment of the League of Nations and the United Nations. NOW: If any
person in the world reads the Balfour Declaration, he would certainly feel that
a grave injustice was inflicted on the Palestinian people who were obliged to
make room in their homeland to an "imported" people, essentially coming
from Europe which mistreated them.