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Lord Balfour: No Apology for Declaration, Jerusalem Must Be Supervised by UN

Lord Roderick Balfour. AFP.
Lord Roderick Balfour. AFP.
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Lord Balfour: No Apology for Declaration, Jerusalem Must Be Supervised by UN

Lord Roderick Balfour. AFP.
Lord Roderick Balfour. AFP.

Lord Roderick Balfour defended Balfour Declaration, issued by his father’s uncle Lord Arthur in 1917, saying that it was not a “promise” that the United Kingdom would establish a state for the Jews in Palestine but a “letter” that expressed “solidarity” with the Jews’ hopes to establish a state for them under the condition of not breaching non-Jews rights at the “sacred land” in Palestine.

He stressed that “Balfour Declaration” should be viewed from a historic perspective that takes into consideration the conditions of World War I when Turks backed Germans and lost and when the UK refused to apologize for the declaration. Jerusalem must be a global heritage location that is supervised by the UN, he added.

In an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat on the 100th anniversary of the declaration, Lord Balfour replied to complaints of Palestinians that the promise is oppressive since it grants Jews the right over their land. He explained that he understands the feelings toward the declaration but going back to 1917, the Ottoman empire was ruling Jews and non-Jews in Palestine until the end of the war. So the land wasn’t even for the Palestinians at that time.

Lord Balfour added that they weren't even called Palestinians but Arabs, so a big part of the dilemma today is due to a new concept of historic symbols. There was a war at that part of the world then. Turks made a mistake and they supported Germans who were enemies of the allies and they lost the war. After exiling the Ottoman empire we became the actual rulers of the land, he continued.

Lord Balfour elaborated that the Balfour Declaration appeared in historic conditions when Jews were facing oppression in Europe, namely Russia – this led Jews to think that no one wanted them while Arabs didn't feel the discomfort faced by Jews in Europe.

He stated that he was criticized because he said that a major part of the letter wasn’t applied, adding that all Liberal Jews agree that expanding settlements and displacing Palestinians represent a mistake for several reasons, including violating with the UN resolutions.

Israel came into existence because of the UN blessing in 1947, therefore settlement and displacement are problems that must be solved, not to mention the huge increased population among Palestinians and certain extremist Jewish circles.

Lord Balfour stressed on launching an operation for economic redevelopment in West Bank and Gaza Strip, considering that Palestinians received no support from their Arab friends, unlike Israel that was supported by Western forces.

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Lebanon's Hezbollah Struggles with Missing Fighters Amid Community Pressure

Mourners carry a picture of slain Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah during the funeral procession of their relatives, in Maisara near the northern coastal town of Byblos, Lebanon, Monday, Oct. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
Mourners carry a picture of slain Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah during the funeral procession of their relatives, in Maisara near the northern coastal town of Byblos, Lebanon, Monday, Oct. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
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Lebanon's Hezbollah Struggles with Missing Fighters Amid Community Pressure

Mourners carry a picture of slain Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah during the funeral procession of their relatives, in Maisara near the northern coastal town of Byblos, Lebanon, Monday, Oct. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
Mourners carry a picture of slain Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah during the funeral procession of their relatives, in Maisara near the northern coastal town of Byblos, Lebanon, Monday, Oct. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

The issue of missing Hezbollah fighters from the Israeli war continues to cause distress for both the group and the families awaiting news or the return of their remains for burial.

Three weeks after the ceasefire began, the fate of more than 1,000 fighters remains unknown. Contact with them was lost, and their bodies have not been found, leaving it unclear whether they were killed in battle or captured by the Israeli military.

The Israeli military has confirmed capturing Hezbollah fighters, though the exact number is unclear. Some reports suggest about 10 fighters are held, and the Israeli forces have released video footage of two of them being interrogated.

Hezbollah confirmed that prisoners are held by Israel, with former media official Mohammed Afif acknowledging their capture. Since the ceasefire, the group’s leaders have kept quiet about the issue, only stating it is being monitored.

They often refer to a pledge made by former Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah, who said, “We will not leave our captives in prison.”

Sources say Hezbollah raised the prisoner issue during talks on the ceasefire agreement, but it was not addressed. They were promised it would be discussed later. Some believe their release could be linked to any broader resolution being worked on for Gaza.

Hezbollah has not yet revealed the number of its fighters killed during 66 days of conflict with Israel. The group stopped reporting casualties in late September, when the count stood at 450 deaths since the war began on October 8, 2023.

While estimates suggest more than 3,000 Hezbollah fighters were killed by the end of the war, sources tell Asharq Al-Awsat that between 1,000 and 1,500 are still missing after contact was lost with them.

Hezbollah has informed the families of these missing fighters of their status, either days before or weeks before the ceasefire took effect. They have said that their fate will be determined through ongoing search operations.

For those whose bodies were found, families were told their loved ones were “martyrs,” a term Hezbollah uses for fallen fighters.

Most bodies have been returned, and burials have taken place. However, many families were told their relatives are “missing in action,” as no trace of them was found due to the destruction caused by bombings, which made it difficult to search.

Fatima, who waited 60 days to hear from her husband, was informed two days ago that he is a “martyr, missing in action.”

Umm Hussein, the mother of another fighter, is still waiting for news of her son, who lost contact with her over a month ago.

Another woman, considered “lucky,” received her brother’s body after losing contact with him four weeks ago. She said: “Knowing he was martyred is better than waiting without knowing his fate.”

Zainab is still hopeful about her brother, who last contacted her 75 days ago. She was told he was in a hard-to-reach area, and search efforts would begin once Israeli forces withdrew.

Zainab remains hopeful, saying: “We haven’t lost hope. If he’s among the martyrs, we’ll still be happy because he has reached his goal.”

In contrast, Salma lost all hope when she learned her father had been killed.

“Although we lost contact with him about three weeks before the ceasefire, Hezbollah contacts reassured us he was fine. When the ceasefire started, we learned he had been martyred. It was a shock for us.”

Local sources in southern Lebanon told Asharq Al-Awsat that the issue of prisoners and missing fighters is becoming a major crisis for Hezbollah, especially for the fighters’ families and the community.

There have been growing protests and complaints against Hezbollah officials, who are being criticized for not doing enough for both the missing and captured fighters.

Hezbollah’s media also seems confused about how to handle the issue, as shown by conflicting reports.

On Tuesday, its news broadcast stated that bodies of martyrs were being recovered from the rubble in the southern town of Al-Adaisseh and would be extended to Taybeh and beyond.

However, two hours later, the report was updated, quoting a correspondent who said that “the Lebanese Army had not entered Al-Adaisseh, and no bodies had been recovered, nor had any similar operation been carried out in Taybeh.”

It also mentioned that “communications with UNIFIL forces on this issue had not been successful so far.”