Question

The origins of the Palestine problem as a global issue, lie in the events that took place towards the end of the First World War.

In this context, explain:

The contradictory promises made by the British government in the Balfour Declaration and the Hussein-McMahon Correspondence.

Answer 1

The British were unable to pay back the vast amount of debt incurred by the Jews during World War I. They declared that Jews would receive a homeland in the state of Palestine to pacify the Jewish population. This statement, known as the Balfour Declaration, cleared the path for creating a Jewish state apart from other nations.

The British wanted to conquer the Turks and take their lands during World War I. They turned to the Arabs for help in this respect. General McMahon, the British High Commissioner in Egypt, sent an invitation to King Hussein of Mecca. Among the critical phrases included beneath the letters were:

1. "After the First World War, the British administration promised to provide King Hussein with an independent Arabia."
2. Once King Hussein took control of the Arab lands, his status as a prophet Muhammad's descendant would rise.
3. In exchange for the British establishing their independence, the Arabs had to help them beat the Turks.
4. The letters significantly impacted how the Arab world's history developed in the future.
5. The letters made no specific reference to Palestine.