Anger as UK university allows Balfour 'celebration'

However, for 

The University of Manchester says it allows third party events but does not endorse them [Al Jazeera]

by Shafik Mandhai  

15 Oct 2017

A British university has drawn criticism for its decision to allow a Balfour

 Declaration "celebration" organised by a pro-Israel group.

The Manchester Balfour 100 event will be held at the University of Manchester's main campus later in October and is part of a broader series of events to mark the anniversary of the declaration made by then British Foreign Secretary Arthur James Balfour on November 2, 1917. 

For supporters of the Zionist cause, the declaration marks the first major milestone leading to the creation of Israel in 1948. 

The university's decision has been slammed by both academics and students

"Having the celebration of the Balfour declaration on campus is totally disrespectful to students of Palestinian origin," said Ayham Madi, a Palestinian studying at the university, adding: "Many people lost their homes, land and their lives." 

The cybersecurity student said a hundred years later, Palestinians continued to feel the impact of the declaration and that he felt "great pain" that the university has allowed the event to take place.

"My grandfather owned land in Palestine and it was taken away from him with no right to do so, my father was born in a refugee camp and spent most of his life in one," he said, continuing:

"I lost an aunt due to the bad conditions inside a refugee camp and I have another aunt who lives under occupation and I have never seen her in my life.

"All this is as a result of the Balfour declaration." 

In a letter to leading English Zionist, Lord Walter Rothschild, Balfour promised British help in creating a "national home" for the Jewish people in Palestine.

The letter conditioned British assistance so that there be no "prejudice" against the rights of existing non-Jewish populations living in the area.

After the defeat of the Ottoman Empire during the first world war, the UK became the dominant power in the region and established Mandate rule in Palestine. 

University of Manchester academic Nick Thoburn said he was "dismayed" that the institution had allowed the event to take place on its campus, which he said commemorated the moment Britain, "with its imperial chauvinism and entitlement, knowingly gave the green light to the ethnic cleansing of Palestine".

"Lord Balfour (declared), chillingly, that Zionism was 'of far profounder import than the desire and prejudices of the 700,000 Arabs who now inhabit that ancient land'," he said.

"That this could be a cause for celebration, hosted in whatever way by a British university, when the consequences then and now have been so devastating ... is indicative of the contempt that Israel and its advocates hold both for Palestinians in the region and in exile," he added.

'Double standard'

Al Jazeera contacted the university to confirm whether the event was taking place at one of its venues.

A university spokesperson said :"The University allows some of its premises to be hired by third parties for external events, provided that the events in question comply with the University's Code of Practice on Freedom of Speech," adding: "This (Balfour 100) event is one such commercial booking and it has no connection to, nor is it endorsed by, the University."