April 1, 1925

Arthur James Balfour (1848-1930) is a British statesman, who serves as Prime Minister of Britain from 1902-1905 and Foreign Secretary from 1916-1919, to name just two of his roles in the British government. The 1917 Balfour Declaration, his most famous contribution to the Zionist movement, is a letter sent to Baron Walter Rothschild, expressing his support of the development of a Jewish homeland in Palestine. His support for Jews emanates from what he perceives as both a Christian and political obligation to right the inexcusable, historical injustices done to them. The contents of the Balfour Declaration are given international legitimacy by the League of Nations, and incorporate support of a Jewish national home into the structure of Palestine’s governance.