Press Release on the 104^th Anniversary of the Balfour’s Declaration

Nov 2, 2021

On Nov 2, the Palestinian people remember Balfour declaration, an abhorrent declaration by the British Minister of Foreign Affairs Arthur Balfour which wasted the rights of our people to their land and holy places, and provided a legal cover for all the terrible crimes committed by the Zionist gangs over the course of more than 100 years.

Mr. Balfour has given what he doesn’t own to those who don’t deserve it. The colonizing powers, along with the Zionist movement, have falsely claimed that Palestine is a land without people. However, our Palestinian people are deeply rooted in their land and still refuse to forfeit their rights of return or self-determination, refuting their falsehoods.

The Palestinian people still suffer the disastrous impacts of Balfour’s declaration until the present day as settlements continue to expand on the Palestinian lands like fatal cancer. Just a few days ago, the racist “Israeli” government announced thousands of new settlement units.

In Occupied Jerusalem, the residents of Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood are still facing the danger of displacement for the second time after being displaced from their original lands in 1948, which raises a serious question: Where to should the Palestinians go in order to be safe from such racist occupation and its colonial policies?

Facing this criminal declaration, the Palestinian people used all legal and peaceful means to demand their rights granted under international law but, apparently, our people are even deprived of using these peaceful means. Lately, the “Israeli” occupation government has issued a decision to label six rights and professional groups as “terrorist” organizations.

These groups are only interested in human and workers’ rights, and have nothing to do with the baseless “Israeli” accusations of “terrorism”. However, the “Israeli” occupation, apparently, seeks to cover the reality of its crimes against our people by terrorizing human rights groups.

On the anniversary of Balfour’s declaration, Gaza suffers from a suffocating blockade, which led to a catastrophic increase in poverty and unemployment rates. At the same time, Palestinian refugees around the world are living in unbearable conditions in their camps, while stranger settlers are enjoying our lands and living in our homes.

The suffering of our people over a century is a result one way or another of Balfour’s abhorrent declaration. Therefore, the international community must stand to its responsibilities and pressure the “Israeli” occupation authorities to abide by UN resolutions that call for the halt of settlement activity and the return of refugees to their homes, and grant our people the right to self-determination like the rest of the nations around the world.

Return is our Right

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Gaza – Palestine