Balfour Declaration anniversary exposes complicity and complacency

The 98th anniversary of the infamous Balfour Declaration has elicited some repetitive commentary from PLO Secretary General Saeb Erekat. In a brief statement published on the organisation’s “Negotiations’ Affairs Department” website, he declared: “Ninety-eight years ago, the destiny of our nation changed due to the action of a foreign colonial power. The Balfour Declaration should serve as a reminder that what is happening in Palestine is a result of colonial decisions made in faraway capitals.”

Apart from a historical assertion, Erekat has failed to utilise the anniversary to instigate a departure from the obsolete rhetoric that has characterised the marking of each event and, indeed, every similar diplomatic venture. In conclusion, Erekat insisted that, “The international community must assume its historic responsibility and take immediate steps to remediate the decades of occupation, colonialism and exile.” For good measure, he added that Britain has additional responsibility due to its role in facilitating the colonisation of Palestine.

As usual, Erekat’s comments adopt the trend of purportedly adamant assertions, although attempts to extract any relevance are futile. The prevailing tendency is to condemn the Balfour Declaration while adhering to the imperialist two-state hypothesis which, according to Erekat, would “protect and promote Palestinian rights”. To put it succinctly, Erekat is seeking to condemn the Balfour Declaration and subsequent actions, while justifying Israel’s colonial presence in Palestine.

Other than creating a temporary source of useful quotes, the haranguing of the “international community” for its accountability by a politician who should also be held accountable for complicity with the occupation will fail to resonate with anyone. If anything, the current political scenario replicates the previous dynamics that contributed to the oppression of the indigenous Palestinian population. The British-Zionist alliance, which has now widened to incorporate an international web of acquiescence and complicity, is reflected in the dynamics between the Israeli government and the Palestinian Authority. The historical months of imperialist interference to create the colonial monstrosity in Palestine have now been eclipsed by decades of negotiations that contributed to the disintegration of Palestinian resistance.

Meanwhile, on the streets, the Palestinians in Gaza held a protest on the anniversary of the Balfour Declaration and those in the West Bank continued with their resistance against Israel’s state and settler-colonial violence. Yet, it seems that, for Erekat, there is no cohesion between historical Palestinian uprisings and the current resilience, which has deftly shunned the politically-corrupt agenda and embarked upon a path that has rendered previous advocates of Palestinian resistance spectators to their own inadequacy.

Diplomacy and annual commemorative insistence upon apologies will remain elusive due to ongoing commitment towards the colonisation of Palestine. While at face value, the condemnation trend may seem pathetic due to its ineffectiveness, its manifestation should be read as a sinister reminder of what has contributed to the loss and ultimate break-up of Palestine. Israeli colonialism and its settler accomplices have manufactured their own exceptionalism in which Palestinian leaders are complicit, regardless of their laments. Ideally, the historical injustice would be addressed, and not on Erekat’s compromised terms. However, it is clear that currently, there is no political movement in Palestine willing to challenge the foundations of settler-colonialism. Hence, even if unwittingly, such reluctance is contributing to validating and acquiescing in Israel’s self-constructed but internationally-accepted impunity.

The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Monitor.