The courtyard of the British Library in central London is dotted with posters advertising the historic documents that can be viewed within its reading rooms.
From the Magna Carta to Leonardo Da Vinci’s sketches to The Beatles’ notebooks, the treasures encompass a vast tract of culture and politics. One item in the archives that is not advertised however is the Balfour Declaration, the 1917 letter that reshaped the Middle East.
The rare manuscript is not available on demand, not even to those who have obtained a reader’s card. To retrieve it from the archives requires a letter on headed notepaper stating a reason for the request. Finally there is bureaucratic hurdle of ordering the documents to be delivered to the reading room.
The letter from Arthur James Balfour to Lord Rothschild is surprisingly brief. It is accompanied by a Foreign Office discussion document. The envelope is also preserved, as is an image of the wax seal that graced the back.
Balfour stated three principles. That the British government viewed with favour the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people. That nothing should have prejudiced the civil and religious rights of the existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine. Nor should developments have affected the rights and political status enjoyed by Jews in any other country.
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Read more
Instead of celebrating the Balfour Declaration, Britain should be ashamed of what it did
Why I am determined to tell Palestinians' stories
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The brevity of the communication belies its impact. The tussle over the Balfour Declaration has raged for almost a century. The lead-up to the century of the Nov 2nd letter has provoked a new battle to define the letter’s place in history.
The Palestinian government has demanded an apology to the Palestinian people from Theresa May’s government.
“This declaration is our tragedy,” Mahmoud Abbas declared last year.
Saeb Erekat, the secretary general of the PLO, believes that Britain should make amends for “one of the greatest tragedies in history” by recognising the Palestinian state on the centenary.
“Britain, the European Union, the United States, Russia, the United Nations and the rest of the world have to obligate the Israeli government to accept the principle of two states based on the June 4, 1967 borders, that is an independent state of Palestine with East Jerusalem as its capital living in security and peace alongside the state of Israel on the 1967 lines and a halt to all Israeli colonial activities,” Mr Erekat said last month.
Mrs May has instead invited Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, to Britain to mark the event. The Foreign Office rejected the demand for an apology.
“The Balfour Declaration was a historic statement and one that the UK Government will not be apologising for,” it said. “We are focused on encouraging the Israelis and Palestinians to take steps which bring them closer to peace.”
Amid stalemate, the level of interest in the anniversary has steadily built on both sides.
A petition to parliament that called for a government repudiation attracted thousands of signatures. The Balfour Campaign on Twitter has spearheaded the demands for an apology. “We believe the British public should demand, with us, that the British government recognises its brutal colonial practices in Palestine,” the campaign declared.
The only event at the British Library itself will held in early October by private group. Separately an exhibition is being staged in New York with a copy of the letter on display as well as the desk used by Lord Balfour.
The Balfour letter was this week described as the “umbilical cord” of the Israeli state by David Dafoor, a wealthy individual who has funded a new centre for British Israeli relations in Jerusalem.
The centre opens tomorrow with an event titled From Balfour to Brexit. Among the attendees will be the former British prime minister Tony Blair as well as leading Israeli politicians, including Tzipi Livni. Mark Regev, the Israeli ambassador to London, has flown in for the event. The fifth Earl of Balfour, heir to the title of the ex-Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary, is also on the guest list.
The objective of commemorating the centenary was outlined in January by Tzipi Hotovely, the deputy foreign minister. “We’re often seen as a country without roots, a new country that represents an ancient people but whose roots in this land are very short. The idea is to bring us back to the bigger picture,” she said.
Meanwhile British parliamentarians and diplomats have been invited to discuss a fresh start on the Balfour Declaration at a rally at Westminster’s Central Hall in October. Among the speakers is the former ambassador to Libya and consul-general in Jerusalem Sir Vincent Frean and Layla Moran, the first British MP of Arab descent. The event is organised by the Balfour Project, which is a dedicated to a call to fulfil the “second part” of the declaration.
“When the prime minister announced that we should celebrate the Balfour Declaration with pride that was a step too far,” said Chris Doyle of the Campaign for the Advancement of Arab British Understanding (CAABU). “We are still living with the consequences of the declaration and there is a relevant debate to be had about the impact of Balfour on the lives of millions. It is seen very differently by Arabs and others.”
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Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
Jigra
Starring: Alia Bhatt, Vedang Raina, Manoj Pahwa, Harsh Singh
Company%20Profile
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Director: Todd Phillips
Rating: 2/5
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Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
'THE WORST THING YOU CAN EAT'
Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.
Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines:
Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.
Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.
Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.
Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.
Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
Indoor cricket World Cup:
Insportz, Dubai, September 16-23
UAE fixtures:
Men
Saturday, September 16 – 1.45pm, v New Zealand
Sunday, September 17 – 10.30am, v Australia; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Monday, September 18 – 2pm, v England; 7.15pm, v India
Tuesday, September 19 – 12.15pm, v Singapore; 5.30pm, v Sri Lanka
Thursday, September 21 – 2pm v Malaysia
Friday, September 22 – 3.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 3pm, grand final
Women
Saturday, September 16 – 5.15pm, v Australia
Sunday, September 17 – 2pm, v South Africa; 7.15pm, v New Zealand
Monday, September 18 – 5.30pm, v England
Tuesday, September 19 – 10.30am, v New Zealand; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Thursday, September 21 – 12.15pm, v Australia
Friday, September 22 – 1.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 1pm, grand final
The specs: 2018 Harley-Davidson Fat Boy
Price, base / as tested Dh97,600
Engine 1,745cc Milwaukee-Eight v-twin engine
Transmission Six-speed gearbox
Power 78hp @ 5,250rpm
Torque 145Nm @ 3,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined 5.0L / 100km (estimate)
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
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The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh192,500
On sale: Now
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League last-16, second leg:
Real Madrid 1 (Asensio 70'), Ajax 4 (Ziyech 7', Neres 18', Tadic 62', Schone 72')
Ajax win 5-3 on aggregate
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APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)
Display: 21cm Liquid Retina Display, 2266 x 1488, 326ppi, 500 nits
Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
Storage: 128/256/512GB
Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4
Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps
Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID
Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight
In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter
Price: From Dh2,099
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The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
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Director: Laila Abbas
Starring: Yasmine Al Massri, Clara Khoury, Kamel El Basha, Ashraf Barhoum
Rating: 4/5
SPECS
Engine: Two-litre four-cylinder turbo
Power: 235hp
Torque: 350Nm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Price: From Dh167,500 ($45,000)
On sale: Now
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UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Day 1 results:
Open Men (bonus points in brackets)
New Zealand 125 (1) beat UAE 111 (3)
India 111 (4) beat Singapore 75 (0)
South Africa 66 (2) beat Sri Lanka 57 (2)
Australia 126 (4) beat Malaysia -16 (0)
Open Women
New Zealand 64 (2) beat South Africa 57 (2)
England 69 (3) beat UAE 63 (1)
Australia 124 (4) beat UAE 23 (0)
New Zealand 74 (2) beat England 55 (2)