Author Archives: Diana Safieh

Uncovering shocking foreign office communications and using fascinating footage never seen on television before, this documentary shows how British double-dealing during the First World War ignited the conflict between Arabs and Jews in the Middle East. This is a story … Continue reading →

We, the undersigned, share our deep concern at the threat of illegal Israeli annexation of any part of the occupied Palestinian West Bank. Unilateral annexation is a grave breach of international law, and a further obstacle to achieving equal rights … Continue reading →

The Balfour Project opposes all forms of racism, bigotry and discrimination, including antisemitism. We commend the recent Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism; one year in the making, by international scholars in antisemitism and related fields from Europe, the USA, Canada and … Continue reading →

Julia Bard looks at the Jerusalem Declaration and assesses its potential to re-set the political dial Published in the Jewish Socialist, 3 August 2021. I know they said there would be no exams this year, but here’s a question just … Continue reading →

Thank you all for joining us. I’m privileged to speak to you and address this really important and relevant topic of Christian Zionism as an imperial theology. The impact and influence of Christian Zionism have been manifested, especially in the … Continue reading →

By Nathan Thrall, published in The New York Review, 19 March 2021. One man’s quest to find his son lays bare the reality of Palestinian life under Israeli rule. This article, from the New York Review of Books, explains the … Continue reading →

By Mary Robinson, published in The Financial Times on 15 March 2021. ICC decision to investigate Hamas and Israel has implications for both sides. BP Trustee, author and international lawyer John McHugo writes: For far too long, political leaders have shied … Continue reading →

A live online talk in March 2021. Raja Shehadeh is a lawyer and writer and the founder of the pioneering Palestinian human rights organisation Al Haq. Shehadeh is the author of several acclaimed books published by Profile Books including the … Continue reading →

Introduction to UK Government statement to the UN Security Council of 26 February 2021 The latest statement by the UK to the UN Security Council, at its regular meeting on the Israeli/Palestinian conflict on 26 February, deserves attention – for … Continue reading →

Sayeeda Hussain Warsi is a British lawyer, politician and member of the House of Lords who served as co-Chairwoman of the Conservative Party from 2010 to 2012. She served in Cameron–Clegg coalition, first as the Minister without portfolio between 2010 … Continue reading →

Rabbi Danny Rich is a free-lance Jewish educator, having been the Senior Rabbi and Chief Executive of Liberal Judaism from 2005 to 2020 and, prior to this, serving as rabbi to Kingston Liberal Synagogue for nearly two decades. Rabbi Rich … Continue reading →

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Letter from Lawyers for Palestinian Human Rights to Rt Hon James Cleverly MP, Minister of State fo rthe Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

How the Zionists hitched a ride on the Imperialist bandwagon By William M Mathew It was fundamental folly to annex Palestine out of persistent anxieties over imperial, notably Indian, security, while at the same pursuing therein a policy of Zionist … Continue reading →

By Adam Abdalla, Jordan Jones, Stav Salpeter Our aim is twofold. Firstly, we raise awareness of the situation of the Bedouin communities living in Area C, who are structurally sidelined both due to the occupation and within the Palestinian society. … Continue reading →

By Gilang Al Ghifari Lukman, Jack Walton, Martha Scott-Cracknell, Omar Sharif, Sarah Chaya Smith In this project, we explore the controversial issues surrounding the effects of the IHRA (International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance) working definition of antisemitism — in particular issues of … Continue reading →

By Aimée-Stephanie Reid, Haneen Zeglam, Sam Lytton Cobbold Click here to download the report.

2022/23 John McHugo, Balfour Project Trustee, and director of the Fellowship Programme, writes: This is the fourth year of our peace advocacy fellowship scheme, and we have now reached the point at which we can set out details of the … Continue reading →

By Rosie Richards and Francesca Vawdrey

The British Government has now replied to the six recommendations in the Balfour Project statement “Israel-Palestine: equal rights for a lasting peace” which concluded our 27 October conference on Jerusalem. We are indebted to our patron, Rt Revd John Pritchard, … Continue reading →

A live online talk given on 10 February 2021. Arabella Dorman: It’s great honour to be with you all tonight and thank you to the Balfour Project for hosting this talk. I’d like really to start with asking a question. … Continue reading →

Published by CAABU, 9 February 2021. Over 80 British parliamentarians representing all parties, in both the House of Commons and the House of Lords, wrote in a letter to the British Foreign Secretary, Dominic Raab that the British government must … Continue reading →

Cick here to read the Balfour Project statement on the Rule of Law. Day 1 Tuesday 25 May Welcome – Sir Vincent Fean & Rt Hon Dominic Grieve QCWhy the rule of law matters – Rt Hon Baroness Hale of … Continue reading →

Two distinguished patrons of the Balfour Project signed the communique below from the Holy Land Coordination (HLC):Rt Revd Declan Lang, Catholic Bishop of Clifton and Chair of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference Dept. of International Affairs andRt Revd Christopher Chessun, Anglican … Continue reading →

By Hagai El-Ad, published in The Guardian, 12 Jan, 2021 The systematic promotion of the supremacy of one group of people over another is deeply immoral and must end One cannot live a single day in Israel-Palestine without the sense … Continue reading →

By Gilang Al Ghifari Lukman, published on New Mandala on 11 JAN, 2021 Recent reports of potential normalisation between Indonesia and Israel have received varied reactions in the respective countries. In his three-month marathon toward normalization, U.S. President Donald Trump … Continue reading →

By Priya Satia, Penguin Allen Lane, Oct 2020 Review by Tariq Suleman A great deal has already been written on the history of empire, but Priya Satia’s ingenious way of presenting empire steers us through a significantly new understanding of … Continue reading →

A live online talk given on 5 January 2021. Ardi Imseis: Thank you. I have been requested to address the issue of why now is the time for the United Kingdom to recognize the State of Palestine. My remarks will … Continue reading →

Statement by Ambassador Barbara Woodward at the Security Council briefing on the situation in the Middle East. Published 21 December 2020 Thank you, Mr President, and thank you to Special Coordinator Mladenov for his briefing. As others have done, I’d … Continue reading →

The rapid integration of the settlers and their roads with pre-1967 Israel means a workable two-state solution becomes more impossible by the minute. By Ahmad Al-Bazz and Edo Konrad, published on +972 on December 31, 2020. How Israel’s road projects are ensuring apartheid is … Continue reading →

Why Avraham Burg, who has served as Knesset speaker, interim president and head of the Jewish Agency, is asking Israel to annul his registration as a Jew Ravit Hecht | Jan. 2, 2021 (From Haaretz) Avraham Burg has been a … Continue reading →

By Michel Sabbah on 22 December 2020. Patriarch Emeritus Michel Sabbah served as the archbishop and Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem from 1987 to 2008, the first native Palestinian to hold the office for centuries. He is a co-author of the … Continue reading →

By Ahmad Al-Bazz and Sarah Abu Alrob for The Electronic Intifada, 23 October 2020. In the northern West Bank city of Jenin, there was once an airfield, a train station, three cinemas and two major roads connecting the town with the neighboring cities … Continue reading →

You can watch Open Bethlehem on Vimeo.  Below is the excerpt of Open Bethlehem about Rachel’s Tomb, shown during the event. Leila Sansour is a Palestinian/British filmmaker with more than 24 years of experience working in television as a producer, … Continue reading →

In a rare and outspoken item for British broadcasting media on Monday night (Dec.4, 2020}, Channel 4 news tackled the question of British colonialism and its responsibility since 1917 for the dispossession of the Palestinian people and their mass expulsion … Continue reading →

Thursday 17th December 2020 at 3pm UK time. All our talks are free, but please do consider a donation to support our work.

Published November 29, 2020 Today, as the world marks the anniversary of the UN General Assembly’s adoption ofResolution 181, which calls for the establishment of two states – one Jewish and one Arab —on the territory that constituted Mandatory Palestine, … Continue reading →

By Susie Becher, published in Times of Israel on Nov 27, 2020. I recently came across an article by the renowned Israeli author A.B. Yehoshua explaining his call for recognition of the State of Palestine back in 2014. One of … Continue reading →

This is an except from an interview with the U.S.-based Palestinian writer, journalist and editor (of Palestine Chronicle), Ramzy Baroud, by Linda Ramsdens, director of the Israeli Committee Against House Demolition. It appears in ICAHD’s November, 2020, newsletter, and is … Continue reading →

Click here to read the British Governmanet’s position on Jerusalem. Julie Elliott MP, with seven other signatories of the Balfour Project statement ‘Israel-Palestine: Equal Rights for lasting Peace’, has conveyed its five requests to the Prime Minister and the Foreign … Continue reading →

Israel/Palestine: Equal Rights for lasting Peace We acknowledge Britain’s historic responsibilities for inequality and discrimination in Jerusalem and across the Holy Land. They stem from the last century, through the Balfour Declaration and the British Mandate for Palestine, with consequences … Continue reading →

By Nir Hasson, Nov 25, 2020 from Haaretz, the Israel daily newspaper. Around 20,000 young Palestinians will be eligible to expedite their requests for Israeli citizenship after a court forced the Interior Ministry to publish guidelines for the scheme on Monday. … Continue reading →

Talk given on 12 November 2020. Vincent Fean is a retired member of the British Diplomatic Service. His last post was Consul General, Jerusalem, from 2010 to 2014. Before that he was the UK Ambassador to Libya and also High … Continue reading →

Closing Remarks and StatementHE Khaled Al-Duwaisan -Kuwaiti Ambassador to the UKSir Vincent Fean Click here to read the statement. Sir Vincent Fean: I now welcome His Excellency Khaled Al-Duwaisan, Kuwait’s Ambassador to the United Kingdom for the last 27 years. … Continue reading →

Session VI: Questions and AnswersModerated by Ian BlackPanellists: Baroness Helena Kennedy QC, Daniel Seidemann, Daniel Levy, Rula Salameh, Sir Vincent Fean Ian Black: A question from Andrew Wilkinson, Oxford University:  “Does the continued focus on the Balfour Declaration – which … Continue reading →

Session V: Britain’s Role in the Coming YearsChair: Sir Vincent FeanKeynote Speaker: Rt Hon Alistair BurtPanellists: Julie Elliott MP (Labour), Tommy Sheppard MP (SNP), Rt Hon Baroness Lindsay Northover (LibDem) Sir Vincent Fean: We are going to talk about the … Continue reading →

Session IV: Contemporary Realities and Plans to Share the CityChair: Dr Imad Karam (BP Trustee)Keynote Speaker: Daniel LevyPanellists: Ariel Caine, Rula Salameh, Yudith Oppenheimer Conference on Jerusalem Session IV: Contemporary Realities and Plans to Share the City Dr Imad Karam: … Continue reading →

Session III: Religion and Holy SitesChair: Bishop Michael Doe (BP Executive Committee)Keynote Speaker: Daniel SeidemannPanellists: Imam Monawar Hussain, Bishop Christopher Chessun, Rabbi Jeremy Gordon Bishop Michael Doe: Good afternoon and welcome back to this Balfour Project Day Conference on Jerusalem: … Continue reading →