A National Home for the Jewish People

What was the concept of 'A National Home for the Jewish People,' where did it come from, and how was it defined? Barzilay-Yegar traces the shifting meanings of the phrase from its first coining in the Balfour Declaration of 1917, to international recognition when it was included in the League of Nations' Mandate for Britain to administer Palestine, granted in 1923. The concept remained elastic throughout this period, and interpretations were made to suit different political and philosophical standpoints. This was done on two levels: the theoretical thinking which followed the drafting of the Mandate, and the actual political practice in Palestine. The first part of the book deals with the various definitions given to 'A National Home' during the Military Administration in response to pressures applied to British politicians, the background of Jewish-Arab expectations, and the economic and administrative problems caused by the policy of keeping the status-quo. The second part deals with the period of the Civil Administration and describes the efforts to define the concept until the White Paper of 1922. This book is essential reading for anyone wanting to know more about how the Balfour Declaration went from ideal to actuality, and to understand the various pressures applied to British politicians to make it happen.