[Activists were carrying signs which read 'Free Palestine' and 'Justice for Palestine' were seen, while chants of 'Free, Free Palestine' and 'Occupation no more.' (Image: Guy Bell/REX/Shutterstock)]
London: Thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators on Monday took to the streets in London to protest against the 100-year anniversary of the Balfour Declaration which resulted in the creation of Israel.
The demonstrators also called on the British government to apologize for the Balfour Declaration, a 1917 document that pledged to set up a Jewish "national home" in what was then Palestine, according to media reports.
The protest was organized by several Muslim and left-wing political groups including Stop The War. After the march through central London, they gathered on the lawns of parliament in Westminster.
Activists were carrying signs which read 'Free Palestine' and 'Justice for Palestine' were seen, while chants of 'Free, Free Palestine' and 'Occupation no more.'
It comes as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited Britain to celebrate the centenary of the then-foreign secretary Arthur Balfour's promise that the UK would support calls for a Jewish homeland.
Some broadcasters estimated there were around 3,000 protesters took to the streets around Westminster. Counter-protesters also arrived at the scene, brandishing Israeli flags nearby.
British Prime Minister Theresa May said that Britain was 'proud' of the role it played in helping to create Israel during a meeting with Netanyahu but warned that Israeli settlements were a 'barrier' to peace.
"I obviously, as we commemorate the Balfour Declaration, recognize the sensitivities that this raises. We, obviously, want to see a resolution of the issue for the Israelis and Palestinians. And we remain committed to a two-state solution."
Jeremy Corbyn said Britain should mark the Balfour Centenary by unilaterally recognizing Palestine.
In 1917, the then Foreign Secretary Lord Balfour wrote a letter to senior Jewish community figure Lord Rothschild stating that the official government position was to create a national home for the Jewish people in Palestine, which was expected to come under British control after the end of World War One.
While the 100th anniversary of the declaration has been celebrated by Israel and many British Jews, Palestinians view this a scrap of paper, which is a catastrophe that foresaw expansion of Jewish migration to Palestine.
Some of the participants in the London march said their grandparents were displaced by the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948 after the British gave up their control over the region.
.
Post Comments
| Quick links