Dozens of MPs are calling for the government to formally apologise for Britain’s actions during its administration of Palestine in the first part of the 20th century.
In September, the Britain Owes Palestine campaign group submitted a 400-page legal petition to the government, but has yet to receive a response.
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Leading British KCs Ben Emmerson and Danny Friedman wrote the substantial document, which provides details of what they say are unlawful actions and war crimes committed during the British occupation of the region between 1917 and 1948.
It says Britain unlawfully failed to recognise Arab self-determination, lacked proper legal authority for the Balfour Declaration and the subsequent mandate, and committed war crimes and crimes against humanity, including murder, torture, arbitrary detention and mass home demolitions.
Alongside the petition, 45 MPs and peers from all parties signed an open letter calling on the British government to formally apologise, as they say the UK must confront its historical role and responsibility to support peace efforts today.
Palestine 1917-1948
In 1917, the Balfour Declaration was signed as the British pledged support for a “national home for the Jewish people” in Palestine.
From 1920, the League of Nations (the precursor to the UN) formally granted Britain a mandate (known as the British Mandate for Palestine), which required them to facilitate Jewish immigration and self-governance in the territory – resulting in conflicting promises for both the Jewish people and Palestinians.
There were periodic violent uprisings, and in 1948, following the failure of the 1947 UN partition plan, Britain handed responsibility to the UN and withdrew, resulting in the State of Israel being established.
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MP: Britain violated international laws
Lib Dem MP Layla Moran, who is the first British MP of Palestinian descent, said: “During its occupation of Palestine, Britain violated a series of international laws that were binding at the time.
“The consequences of those actions have profoundly shaped the conflict we witness today, yet successive governments have refused to acknowledge this record or offer a formal apology.
“If Britain is serious about promoting peace in Gaza today, it must begin by confronting its historical role, recognising the harm caused, and taking meaningful responsibility for it.”
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Apology would be meaningful to Palestinians
Legal expert Victor Kattan, who helped write the petition, told Sky News: “Our main ask is for an official public apology from the prime minister and a conversation about reparations.
“This project long preceded the government last year recognising Palestine, and that is a good step, but without an apology, it doesn’t address the past.
“An apology would be very meaningful to the Palestinian people, it’s a form of catharsis, recognising someone’s pain and suffering, even if it’s in the past.”
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Professor Kattan, assistant professor in public international law at the University of Nottingham, said they are not asking for direct payments as part of reparations, but would appreciate that period being part of the national curriculum in schools, and for it to be detailed in museums.
A memorial would also be something they would appreciate, he added.
Palestinian philanthropist Munib Al-Masri, 91, is leading the petition after being shot by British soldiers as a boy, with shrapnel still in his body.
He said: “What Britain did in Palestine did not end when it left in 1948. The policies and violence of that period helped create the conditions for the calamity we are living through today. An official apology is about recognising that history and the harm it continues to cause.”
The Foreign Office said it does not routinely comment on petitions.
