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The Story of How the Palestinians Lost Most of Their Homeland to the Zionist Jews
The story of how the Palestinians lost most of their homeland is the story of three tragic betrayals by their British occupiers during the period 1917–1948. In first instance, the British Empire betrayed the Palestinians reluctantly, having been prompted by desperate circumstances during World War I. Though the British Empire made prodigious efforts to secure Palestine’s future independence, they ultimately betrayed their trust at three critical times during the occupation.
The British Empire defeated the Ottoman Empire in Palestine in 1917, and proceeded to occupy it under various conditions until 1948. The British government did not support the Zionist cause at this time because they had maintained relations with the Arabs and the Muslims of India for many years, had gained their trust, and had formed many important alliances with them.
The Zionist movement to create a Jewish homeland in Palestine through colonization was established in the late 1800s in Eastern Europe. At that time, the people of Palestine were 96% Muslims and Christians, and a majority of the Jews of the world did not support Zionism.[i] Seeking support from a world power, the European Zionists first approached the Ottoman Empire, but were unsuccessful. The Ottomans did, however, offer to allow them to settle…
