90 years on from Balfour: 117 words that changed the face of the Middle East

Youth News Palestine-Gaza

Ninety years ago today Arthur James Balfour presented his statement of policy to the British Government supporting Zionist claims for a Jewish homeland in Palestine.
Despite the condition that the creation of the Jewish homeland should not prejudice the rights of Palestinian communities, that ill-fated decision has led to a continuing state of conflict, the deaths of thousands of people and created a huge refugee problem, with many Palestinians exiled from their ancestral homeland.
On this the ninetieth anniversary of the Balfour declaration, Islamic Jihad issued a statement confirming their commitment to the right of Palestinian refugees to return home. The brigades announced that they will not accept any attempt by Middle East envoy to the Quartet Tony Blair to undermine that right or to ignore the legal rights of Palestinians in their own lands.
The resistance brigades said their resistance will continue as it was the only way for Palestinians to regain these rights.
The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine called on the international community to pressure Israel to stop attacking Palestinians, to retract their decree stating that Gaza is a hostile entity and to end the occupation of Palestinian lands.