by Peter Shambrook
Oneworld Publications
9/10/2024, paperback
SKU: 9780861549498
The untold story of Britain's role in the Israel-Palestine conflict
This is the untold story of Britain's role in the Israel-Palestine conflict.
During the First World War, the British High Commissioner in Egypt reached a secret agreement with the Sharif of Mecca. If the Sharif allied with Britain against the Ottomans, after the war an independent Arab state that included Palestine would be established. The Sharif kept his word. The British did not. Instead, two years later Lloyd George's government declared that Palestine would be for the global Jewish community.
Through meticulous analysis of official records and private papers, Peter Shambrook exposes how Britain came to betray the Arabs. He debunks the myth that Palestine was never part of the lands guaranteed to the Sharif and details the attempts of successive British governments to prevent the truth from ever becoming public.
For anyone interested in the history of the Israel-Palestine conflict, this is a must-read.
Reviews:
"This is the most comprehensive and incisive exposure of the origins of the British betrayal of Palestine. Based on thorough archival research, it brings to a close an old historiographical debate by showing clearly that Britain pledged to make Palestine part of the Arab world during the First World War, and it reveals why this promise was concealed from the British public. Not only is this a vital correction regarding a crucial moment in Palestine's history, it is also a call for contemporary Britain to acknowledge and apologise for its treachery towards the Palestinians." -- Ilan Pappe, Professor of History and Director of the European Centre for Palestine Studies, University of Exeter, and author of The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine
"In this thorough and incisive piece of historical detective work, Peter Shambrook conclusively scotches some of the myths and delusions that for over a century have surrounded Britain's handling of the future of Palestine. The Balfour Declaration of 1917, Shambrook shows in lucid detail, was incompatible with the commitment made by the British two years earlier to Hussein ibn Ali, the Sharif of Mecca, that Palestine would come under independent Arab rule. A riveting account of a long-running saga of British double-dealing and evasion, Policy of Deceit is a rigorous, accessible and important contribution to the literature on Britain's imperial role in the Middle East. The roots of the continuing conflict between Jews and Palestinians there, Shambrook shows, were 'made in Britain'." -- Adam Sutcliffe, Professor of European History, King's College London
About the Author:
Peter Shambrook is an independent scholar and historical consultant to the Balfour Project, which works to advance equal rights for all in Palestine/Israel. Over the course of his career he has held a number of research positions, including at Durham University and at the Centre for Lebanese Studies in Oxford. He lives in Durham.