DOCSLIB.ORG

TITLE the Implementation of the Balfour Declaration and the British Mandate in Palestine: Proble

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
TITLE the Implementation of the Balfour Declaration and the British Mandate in Palestine: Proble https://research.stmarys.ac.uk/ TITLE The implementation of the Balfour Declaration and the British Mandate in Palestine: problems of conquest and colonisation at the nadir of British Imperialism (1917–1936) AUTHOR Regan, Bernard DATE DEPOSITED 13 April 2016 This version available at https://research.stmarys.ac.uk/id/eprint/1009/ COPYRIGHT AND REUSE Open Research Archive makes this work available, in accordance with publisher policies, for research purposes. VERSIONS The version presented here may differ from the published version. For citation purposes, please consult the published version for pagination, volume/issue and date of publication. The Implementation of the Balfour Declaration and the British Mandate in Palestine: problems of con- quest and colonisation at the nadir of British Imperi- alism (1917–1936) Regan, Bernard (2016) The Implementation of the Balfour Dec- laration and the British Mandate in Palestine: problems of con- quest and colonisation at the nadir of British Imperialism (1917– 1936) University of Surrey Version: PhD thesis Copyright and Moral Rights for the articles on this site are retained by the individ- ual authors and/or other copyright owners. For more information on Open- Research Archive’s data policy on reuse of materials please consult http:// research.stmarys.ac.uk/policies.html http://research.stmarys.ac.uk/ The Implementation of the Balfour Declaration and the British Mandate in Palestine: problems of conquest and colonisation at the nadir of British Imperialism (1917–1936) Thesis submitted by Bernard Regan For the award of Doctor of Philosophy School of Arts and Humanities University of Surrey January 2016 ©Bernard Regan 2016 1 Summary The objective of this thesis is to analyse the British Mandate in Palestine with a view to developing a new understanding of the interconnections and dissonances between the principal agencies. Through a critical examination of British government papers the thesis argues that the moment of the British Mandate in Palestine signalled a new phase in the development of British imperialism constituting a rupture with the colonialist past and the advent of a new type of imperialist relationship. The encounter between this new-imperialism which developed from the end of the nineteenth century and a Palestinian society which was in the process of transformation between a predominantly pre-capitalist agricultural society into a commodity producing capitalist one engendered a conflictual environment dislocating the economic, social and political structures that existed. The Balfour Declaration constituted an agreement between British imperialism and organised Zionism which was the establishment of a symbiotic relationship emerging from the coalescence of two interdependent political goals. The British, intent on preserving their position as an imperial hegemon perceived the occupation of Palestine as a critical component of their strategy and a vital adjunct of their objective of remaining the dominant force in the region of the Near East. The combined aspects of this strategy cannot be reduced to but may be expressed as: a desire to retain untrammelled communications through the Suez Canal with the Empire at large; a pre- occupation with seeking to establish a dominant position in respect of the exploitation and marketisation of oil and the implantation of a colonising surrogate to act as the agency through which its objectives might be mediated. The Zionist objective, to create a National Home for the Jews, constituted a nationalist endeavour premised on the acquisition of an imperialist sponsor. The British course of action through the implementation of the Mandate constituted an intervention which distorted and gravely damaged the evolution of the economic, social and political life of the indigenous Palestinians. The thesis in analysing these events in a new way argues for a fresh appreciation of the origin and character of the British Mandate in Palestine. 2 3 Acknowledgements Page I express my gratitude to Professor Nur Masalha and to Doctor Claire Norton for their support, advice and guidance throughout the process of writing this thesis. I am profoundly grateful to them for all the assistance they have given me. My thanks are also due to Doctor Mark Donnelly for his comments on the thesis. In addition I want to express my gratitude to numerous friends who have given advice, support and encouragement over the years. Brian Grogan, Doreen Weppler, Jane Shallice, Leila Younes, Maha Younes and Monica Brady. My thanks also to my sisters Margaret Regan and Shelagh Regan for their continued interest in the progress of the work over the years. My special thanks to Carole Regan for her advice, encouragement, support, tolerance and much more throughout this process. 4 CONTENTS INTRODUCTION 6 CHAPTER ONE: Imperialism, Colonialism and Settlers: The Problem Reconsidered 26 CHAPTER TWO: War, Empire and Palestine 71 CHAPTER THREE: The Balfour Declaration, Self-Determination and Arab Opposition 111 CHAPTER FOUR: The Mandate and Palestinian Politics 145 CHAPTER FIVE: Towards the Palestinian Revolt 209 CHAPTER SIX: Conclusions 248 BIBLIOGRAPHY 258 5 INTRODUCTION This thesis offers an innovative explanation and evaluation of the nature of the British occupation and Mandate in Palestine from 1917 to 1936. Examining the process by which British imperialism was implemented in Palestine through a policy of settler- colonialism I argue that this form of colonial intervention constituted a new phase in the development of British imperialism. The war for plunder and the looting of goods characteristic of earlier forms of imperialism was, from the end of the nineteenth century, increasingly augmented, and to some degree supplanted, by competition for raw materials and control over markets. This led to a continuous predatory activity by imperial powers such as Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Belgium and others, seeking to acquire lands and their raw materials coupled with the subjugation of rivals and the brutal repression of the rights of peoples of the lands conquered.1 The thesis makes the case that the British occupation of Palestine and the implementation of the Mandate constituted a break in the nature and practice of British imperialism with that of the nineteenth century. I argue that the method of colonisation employed by the British in respect of the Zionist project differed from that of the preceding period. Furthermore the thesis contends that the Balfour Declaration which was innately contradictory was an expression of the coalescence of the strategic objectives of British imperialism with the aspirations of the Zionist movement. Lastly, I argue that the British implementation of the Balfour Declaration and the Mandate in Palestine had a fundamentally disruptive impact on the ability of Palestinian society to achieve sovereignty. By utilising the methodological approach outlined in Chapter One I demonstrate how the attempts by the indigenous Palestinian people to respond politically to the intervention of British imperialism and Zionist colonisation were continuously thwarted, disrupting what might otherwise have been a relatively untrammelled progress towards self-determination. Whilst addressing the contradictions, dissonances and convergences produced by the interplay of global and local factors the chapters of the thesis seek to remain within an overall chronological framework. 1 See for example Adam Hochschild, King Leopold’s Ghost (Oxford: MacMillan, 1999), for a graphic description of the role of Belgium imperialism in the Congo region. 6 The originality of the thesis lies in the approach which has been adopted which emphasises the importance of analysing the global, regional and local context within which British imperialism implemented the Mandate. Palestinian society which had already experienced challenges as a result of longer-term developments within the Ottoman Empire was confronted by the seismic disruption caused by the First World War and the British occupation of the country to which were added the challenges created by Zionist settlement. The characteristics of Palestinian society were compromised, adversely affecting the development of the endeavour for self- determination. From a methodological perspective therefore the thesis will examine how the asymmetrical pressures exerted on Palestinian society by changes in the character of the Ottoman Empire coupled with the immediacy of the British occupation and the imposition of the Zionist project affected the growth and development of Palestinian society and its political response. The thesis interrogates the specificities of the new-imperialism emerging in Britain at the end of the nineteenth century, which was defined by four key features: the move towards control over sources of raw materials; the emergence of finance capital producing a new unity of industrial and commercial enterprises; the desire to hegemonise global markets and the abandonment of more traditional colonialist practice to be replaced by the development of a neo-colonialist strategy. The British occupation of Palestine constituted the first major encounter of this new-imperialism with a country and a people it sought to dominate. I argue that re-examining British imperialism from within a framework that foregrounds these four elements provides an original insight into the operations of the Mandate and the policies adopted by the British. British disdain for the aspirations of the indigenous peoples of lands they colonised was
Load more

Recommended publications
  • ORIGINS of the PALESTINE MANDATE by Adam Garfinkle
    NOVEMBER 2014 ORIGINS OF THE PALESTINE MANDATE By Adam Garfinkle Adam Garfinkle, Editor of The American Interest Magazine, served as the principal speechwriter to Secretary of State Colin Powell. He has also been editor of The National Interest and has taught at Johns Hopkins University’s School for Advanced International Studies (SAIS), the University of Pennsylvania, Haverford College and other institutions of higher learning. An alumnus of FPRI, he currently serves on FPRI’s Board of Advisors. This essay is based on a lecture he delivered to FPRI’s Butcher History Institute on “Teaching about Israel and Palestine,” October 25-26, 2014. A link to the the videofiles of each lecture can be found here: http://www.fpri.org/events/2014/10/teaching-about- israel-and-palestine Like everything else historical, the Palestine Mandate has a history with a chronological beginning, a middle, and, in this case, an end. From a strictly legal point of view, that beginning was September 29, 1923, and the end was midnight, May 14, 1948, putting the middle expanse at just short of 25 years. But also like everything else historical, it is no simple matter to determine either how far back in the historical tapestry to go in search of origins, or how far to lean history into its consequences up to and speculatively beyond the present time. These decisions depend ultimately on the purposes of an historical inquiry and, whatever historical investigators may say, all such inquiries do have purposes, whether recognized, admitted, and articulated or not. A.J.P. Taylor’s famous insistence that historical analysis has no purpose other than enlightened storytelling, rendering the entire enterprise much closer to literature than to social science, is interesting precisely because it is such an outlier perspective among professional historians.
    [Show full text]
  • Israel: Growing Pains at 60
    Viewpoints Special Edition Israel: Growing Pains at 60 The Middle East Institute Washington, DC Middle East Institute The mission of the Middle East Institute is to promote knowledge of the Middle East in Amer- ica and strengthen understanding of the United States by the people and governments of the region. For more than 60 years, MEI has dealt with the momentous events in the Middle East — from the birth of the state of Israel to the invasion of Iraq. Today, MEI is a foremost authority on contemporary Middle East issues. It pro- vides a vital forum for honest and open debate that attracts politicians, scholars, government officials, and policy experts from the US, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. MEI enjoys wide access to political and business leaders in countries throughout the region. Along with information exchanges, facilities for research, objective analysis, and thoughtful commentary, MEI’s programs and publications help counter simplistic notions about the Middle East and America. We are at the forefront of private sector public diplomacy. Viewpoints are another MEI service to audiences interested in learning more about the complexities of issues affecting the Middle East and US rela- tions with the region. To learn more about the Middle East Institute, visit our website at http://www.mideasti.org The maps on pages 96-103 are copyright The Foundation for Middle East Peace. Our thanks to the Foundation for graciously allowing the inclusion of the maps in this publication. Cover photo in the top row, middle is © Tom Spender/IRIN, as is the photo in the bottom row, extreme left.
    [Show full text]
  • • International Court of Justice • • • • •
    • • • INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE • • • • • . Request for an • Advisory Opinion on the • Legal Consequences of the • Construction of a Wall • in the Occupied Palestinian Territories • • WRITTEN STATEMENT SUBMITTED BY • THE HASHEMITE KINGDOM OF JORDAN • • • • 30 January 2004 • • • • • TABLE OF CONTENTS • 1. Introduction • Il. General background • III. Immediate background • IV. Relevant facts V. Relevant legal considerations • (a) The Court' s jurisdiction • (i) The request raises a legal question which the Court has jurisdiction ta answer • (ii) There are no compelling reasons which should lead the • Court ta refuse ta give the advisory opinion requested of it. • (b) Applicable legal principles (i) The prohibition of the use of force, and the right of seIf- • determination, are Iules of ius cogens (ii) The territory in whîch the wall has been or is planned to be • constructed constitutes occupied territory for purposes of international law • (lii) The law applicable in respect of occupied territory limîts • the occupying State's power$ (iv) Occupied territory cannot be annexed by the occupying • State • (c) Applicable legal principles and the construction of the wall (i) The occupying State does not have the right effectively to • alIDex occupied territory or otherwise to alter its status (ii) The occupying State does not have the right to alter the • population balance in the occupîed territory by estabIishing alien • settlements • ->- :.• 1 1. • -11- (iii) The occupying State lS not entitled in occupied territory to construct a wall
    [Show full text]
  • The British Labour Party and Zionism, 1917-1947 / by Fred Lennis Lepkin
    THE BRITISH LABOUR PARTY AND ZIONISM: 1917 - 1947 FRED LENNIS LEPKIN BA., University of British Columbia, 196 1 A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS in the Department of History @ Fred Lepkin 1986 SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY July 1986 All rights reserved. This thesis may not be reproduced in whole or in part, by photocopy or other means, without permission of the author. Name : Fred Lennis Lepkin Degree: M. A. Title of thesis: The British Labour Party and Zionism, - Examining Committee: J. I. Little, Chairman Allan B. CudhgK&n, ior Supervisor . 5- - John Spagnolo, ~upervis&y6mmittee Willig Cleveland, Supepiso$y Committee -Lenard J. Cohen, External Examiner, Associate Professor, Political Science Dept.,' Simon Fraser University Date Approved: August 11, 1986 PARTIAL COPYRIGHT LICENSE I hereby grant to Simon Fraser University the right to lend my thesis, project or extended essay (the title of which is shown below) to users of the Simon Fraser University Library, and to make partial or single copies only for such users or in response to a request from the library of any other university, or other educational institution, on its own behalf or for one of its users. I further agree that permission for multiple copying of this work for scholarly purposes may be granted by me or the Dean of Graduate Studies. It is understood that copying or publication of this work for financial gain shall not be allowed without my written permission. Title of Thesis/Project/Extended Essay The British Labour Party and Zionism, 1917 - 1947.
    [Show full text]
  • Copyright by John Michael Meyer 2020
    Copyright by John Michael Meyer 2020 The Dissertation Committee for John Michael Meyer Certifies that this is the approved version of the following Dissertation. One Way to Live: Orde Wingate and the Adoption of ‘Special Forces’ Tactics and Strategies (1903-1944) Committee: Ami Pedahzur, Supervisor Zoltan D. Barany David M. Buss William Roger Louis Thomas G. Palaima Paul B. Woodruff One Way to Live: Orde Wingate and the Adoption of ‘Special Forces’ Tactics and Strategies (1903-1944) by John Michael Meyer Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School of The University of Texas at Austin in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy The University of Texas at Austin May 2020 Dedication To Ami Pedahzur and Wm. Roger Louis who guided me on this endeavor from start to finish and To Lorna Paterson Wingate Smith. Acknowledgements Ami Pedahzur and Wm. Roger Louis have helped me immeasurably throughout my time at the University of Texas, and I wish that everyone could benefit from teachers so rigorous and open minded. I will never forget the compassion and strength that they demonstrated over the course of this project. Zoltan Barany developed my skills as a teacher, and provided a thoughtful reading of my first peer-reviewed article. David M. Buss kept an open mind when I approached him about this interdisciplinary project, and has remained a model of patience while I worked towards its completion. My work with Tom Palaima and Paul Woodruff began with collaboration, and then moved to friendship. Inevitably, I became their student, though they had been teaching me all along.
    [Show full text]
  • Britain's Broken Promises: the Roots of the Israeli and Palestinian
    Britain’s Broken Promises: The Roots of the Israeli and Palestinian Conflict Overview Students will learn about British control over Palestine after World War I and how it influenced the Israel‐Palestine situation in the modern Middle East. The material will be introduced through a timeline activity and followed by a PowerPoint that covers many of the post‐WWI British policies. The lesson culminates in a letter‐writing project where students have to support a position based upon information learned. Grade 9 NC Essential Standards for World History • WH.1.1: Interpret data presented in time lines and create time lines • WH.1.3: Consider multiple perspectives of various peoples in the past • WH.5.3: Analyze colonization in terms of the desire for access to resources and markets as well as the consequences on indigenous cultures, population, and environment • WH.7.3: Analyze economic and political rivalries, ethnic and regional conflicts, and nationalism and imperialism as underlying causes of war Materials • “Steps Toward Peace in Israel and Palestine” Timeline (excerpt attached) • History of Israel/Palestine Timeline Questions and Answer Key, attached • Drawing paper or chart paper • Colored pencils or crayons (optional) • “Britain’s Broken Promises” PowerPoint, available in the Database of K‐12 Resources (in PDF format) o To view this PDF as a projectable presentation, save the file, click “View” in the top menu bar of the file, and select “Full Screen Mode” o To request an editable PPT version of this presentation, send a request to
    [Show full text]
  • British Framing of the Frontier in Palestine, 1918–1923 Yarmuk Valley (East of Samakh) to Arrest the Offenders Who Attacked the Telegraph Lines There
    On 22 April 1920, skirmishes took place British Framing between British gendarmes based in the of the Frontier in frontier town of Baysan and hundreds of armed tribesmen of the Ghazawiyya – one Palestine, 1918– of the biggest tribes in the region. Several 1923: men were killed on both sides. The next day, about two thousand tribesmen from Revisiting Colonial across the Jordan gathered forces and attacked the Jewish colonies near Samakh Sources on Tribal on the southern tip of the Sea of Galilee, Insurrection, Land a few miles north of Baysan. The British army apparently had military intelligence Tenure, and the Arab about these raids and called for support. Intelligentsia It is reported that several airplanes and tanks were used to put off the insurrection. Munir Fakher Eldin Notwithstanding reports of losses in men, military equipment, telegraph and railway lines, the British military could still telegram on 24 April that “situation is in hand.” Yet it was also strongly believed that “matters will get worse instead of better, especially when the morning’s news about the mandates reaches Syria.”1 The events coincided with unconfirmed reports that Amir Faysal’s government in Damascus had declared war on the French and began an attack on their forces in Banyas, and that tribal forces were gathering south of the town of al- Qunaytra (both in the Golan region) in preparation for attack on the British to the south. These escalations, however, did not materialize. According to news published by the Egyptian newspaper al-Muqattam and quoted by the Egyptian Gazette on 18 June 1920, Amir Bashir, the leader of one of the tribes which participated in the insurrection asked for permission to discuss the events with the authorities in Jerusalem.
    [Show full text]
  • The Nakba: 70 Years ON
    May 2018 Photo: Abed Rahim Khatib Photo: A I THE NAKBA: 70 YEARS ON 70 Years of Dispossession, Displacement and Denial of Rights, but also ASS 70 Years of Steadfastness, Self-Respect and Struggle for Freedom and Justice P INTRODUCTION 2018 is the year where Palestinians all over the world remember the 70th anniversary of the Nakba - 70 Years in which they had their civil and national rights trampled on, sacrificed lives and livelihoods, had their land stolen, their property destroyed, promises broken, were injured, insulted and humiliated, endured oppression, dispersion, imprisonment and torture, and witnessed numerous attempts to partition their homeland and divide their people. However, despite all past and ongoing land confiscation, settlement construction, forcible displacements and rights denials, the Zionist movement has failed to empty the country of its indigenous Palestinian inhabitants, whose number has meanwhile increased to an extent that it is about to exceed that of the Jews. Despite all repressions at the hands of the occupier, despite all attempts at erasing or distorting their history and memory, and despite all political setbacks and failed negotiations, Palestinians are still steadfast on their land and resisting occupation. The 1948 Nakba remains the root cause of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and will continue to fuel the Palestinian struggle for freedom and self-determination. As clearly reflected in the ‘Great March of Return’ which began on 30 March 2018 along the Gaza border fence, the Palestinians will not relinquish their historical and legal right of return to their homeland nor their demand that Israel acknowledges Contents: its moral and political responsibility for this ongoing tragedy and the gross injustice inflicted on the Palestinian people.
    [Show full text]
  • Mandate for Palestine
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 NOTES 12 LEAGUE OF NATIONS. ____________________ MANDATE FOR PALESTINE TOGETHER WITH A NOTE BY THE SECRETARY - GENERAL RELATING TO ITS APPLICATION TO THE TERRITORY KNOWN AS TRANS-JORDAN, under the provisions of Article 25 Presented to Parliament by Command of His Majesty, December, 1922. LONDON: PUBLISHED BY HIS MAJESTY’S STATIONERY OFFICE To be purchased through any Bookseller or directly from H.M. STATIONERY OFFICE at the following addresses: IMPERIAL HOUSE, KINGSWAY, LONDON, W.C.2. and 28, ABINGDON STREET, LONDON, S.W.1; 37, PETER STREET, MANCHESTER; 1, ST. ANDREW’S CRESENT, CARDIFF; or 24, FOURTH STREET, EDINBURGH. Cmd. 1785 13 MANDATE FOR PALESTINE, together with a Note by the Secretary-General relating to its application to the Territory known as Trans- Jordan, under the provisions of Article 25. ____________________ MANDATE FOR PALESTINE ____________________ The Council of the League of Nations: Whereas the Principal Allied Powers have agreed, for the purpose of giving effect to the provisions of Article 22 of the Covenant of the League of Nations, to entrust to a Mandatory selected by the said Powers the administration of the territory of Palestine, which formerly belonged to the Turkish Empire, within such boundaries as may be fixed by them; and Whereas the Principal Allied Powers have also agreed that the Mandatory should be responsible for putting into effect the declaration originally made on November 2nd, 1917, by the Government of His Britannic Majesty, and adopted by the said Powers, in favor of
    [Show full text]
  • Israel's Rights As a Nation-State in International Diplomacy
    Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs Institute for Research and Policy המרכז הירושלמי לענייני ציבור ומדינה )ע"ר( ISRAEl’s RiGHTS as a Nation-State in International Diplomacy Israel’s Rights as a Nation-State in International Diplomacy © 2011 Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs – World Jewish Congress Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs 13 Tel Hai Street, Jerusalem, Israel Tel. 972-2-561-9281 Fax. 972-2-561-9112 Email: [email protected] www.jcpa.org World Jewish Congress 9A Diskin Street, 5th Floor Kiryat Wolfson, Jerusalem 96440 Phone : +972 2 633 3000 Fax: +972 2 659 8100 Email: [email protected] www.worldjewishcongress.com Academic Editor: Ambassador Alan Baker Production Director: Ahuva Volk Graphic Design: Studio Rami & Jaki • www.ramijaki.co.il Cover Photos: Results from the United Nations vote, with signatures, November 29, 1947 (Israel State Archive) UN General Assembly Proclaims Establishment of the State of Israel, November 29, 1947 (Israel National Photo Collection) ISBN: 978-965-218-100-8 TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction and Overview Ambassador Alan Baker .......................................................................................................................................................................... 5 The National Rights of Jews Professor Ruth Gavison ........................................................................................................................................................................... 9 “An Overwhelmingly Jewish State” - From the Balfour Declaration to the Palestine Mandate
    [Show full text]
  • Legacies of the Anglo-Hashemite Relationship in Jordan
    Legacies of the Anglo-Hashemite Relationship in Jordan: How this symbiotic alliance established the legitimacy and political longevity of the regime in the process of state-formation, 1914-1946 An Honors Thesis for the Department of Middle Eastern Studies Julie Murray Tufts University, 2018 Acknowledgements The writing of this thesis was not a unilateral effort, and I would be remiss not to acknowledge those who have helped me along the way. First of all, I would like to thank my advisor, Professor Thomas Abowd, for his encouragement of my academic curiosity this past year, and for all his help in first, making this project a reality, and second, shaping it into (what I hope is) a coherent and meaningful project. His class provided me with a new lens through which to examine political history, and gave me with the impetus to start this paper. I must also acknowledge the role my abroad experience played in shaping this thesis. It was a research project conducted with CET that sparked my interest in political stability in Jordan, so thank you to Ines and Dr. Saif, and of course, my classmates, Lensa, Matthew, and Jackie, for first empowering me to explore this topic. I would also like to thank my parents and my brother, Jonathan, for their continuous support. I feel so lucky to have such a caring family that has given me the opportunity to pursue my passions. Finally, a shout-out to the gals that have been my emotional bedrock and inspiration through this process: Annie, Maya, Miranda, Rachel – I love y’all; thanks for listening to me rant about this all year.
    [Show full text]
  • A Rhetorical History of the British Constitution of Israel, 1917-1948
    A RHETORICAL HISTORY OF THE BRITISH CONSTITUTION OF ISRAEL, 1917-1948 by BENJAMIN ROSWELL BATES (Under the Direction of Celeste Condit) ABSTRACT The Arab-Israeli conflict has long been presented as eternal and irresolvable. A rhetorical history argues that the standard narrative can be challenged by considering it a series of rhetorical problems. These rhetorical problems can be reconstructed by drawing on primary sources as well as publicly presented texts. A methodology for doing rhetorical history that draws on Michael Calvin McGee's fragmentation thesis is offered. Four theoretical concepts (the archive, institutional intent, peripheral text, and center text) are articulated. British Colonial Office archives, London Times coverage, and British Parliamentary debates are used to interpret four publicly presented rhetorical acts. In 1915-7, Britain issued the Balfour Declaration and the McMahon-Hussein correspondence. Although these documents are treated as promises in the standard narrative, they are ambiguous declarations. As ambiguous documents, these texts offer opportunities for constitutive readings as well as limiting interpretations. In 1922, the Mandate for Palestine was issued to correct this vagueness. Rather than treating the Mandate as a response to the debate between realist foreign policy and self-determination, Winston Churchill used epideictic rhetoric to foreclose a policy discussion in favor of a vote on Britain's honour. As such, the Mandate did not account for Wilsonian drives in the post-War international sphere. After Arab riots and boycotts highlighted this problem, a commission was appointed to investigate new policy approaches. In the White Paper of 1939, a rhetoric of investigation limited Britain's consideration of possible policies.
    [Show full text]