Lord Balfour, the author of the declaration issued by him as Foreign Secretary of the British Government on November 2, 1917, pledging the best endeavors of His Majesty’s Government in facilitating the establishment of the Jewish National Home in Palestine, today addressed the following letter to Dr. Chaim Weizmann, as president of the Jewish Agency for Palestine. The letter read:
August 30, 1922
My dear Weizmann:
Events in Palestine have moved me to indignation and disgust, but they do nothing to shake my confidence in the general wisdom of the policy which you and your colleagues have been pursuing so successfully in Palestine under the mandated system with all its inherent difficulties.
The British Empire and all powers with whom it has been closely associated have solemnly declared their intention of again rendering Palestine the National Home of the Jewish people. That policy is in harmony with the best opinion of western civilization in all parts of the world. To its fulfillment is promised the support of the British Empire.
That pledge has been given. Depend upon it. It is not going to be dishonored.
Believe me
Yours most sincerely,
Balfour.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.