Britain Owes Palestine – time to be held to account

JVL Introduction

Fourteen Palestinians affected by “Britain’s alleged violations and the dispersal of Palestinians”, several of whom lived during the period of the British Mandate, have submitted a legal claim for compensation for Britain’s actions from Balfour and beyond preceding the establishment of the State of Israel.  In a document exceeding 400 pages with detailed evidence, the petition asks “the UK to take responsibility for “serial international law violations”, including war crimes committed during the British occupation of Palestine from 1917 to 1948, the consequences of which it says still reverberate today.”

Included are the Balfour declaration of 1917 as well as its role as the occupier during the British mandate for which they argue there is no legal basis , a role that includes “systematic abuse” of the Palestinian people.

They argue that as “the Palestinian people face their gravest crisis since 1948, which Britain bears its own distinct responsibility for and so owes  (Palestinians) a special debt.” (my emph Ed)

LL

This article was originally published by The Guardian on Sun 7 Sep 2025. Read the original here.