UK leaders, experts mark Balfour centenary in London
Event organized by TOI partner Jewish News and BICOM examines causes and consequences of landmark 1917 declaration
Political leaders and Middle East experts gathered in Britain’s Parliament buildings in Westminster Wednesday to mark the centennial of the Balfour Declaration with a conference on “Britain, Israel and the Middle East.”
The event — broadcast live via Facebook — was organized jointly by the UK’s Jewish News, a Times of Israel partner, and the Britain Israel Communications and Research Center (BICOM).
A series of panel discussions was considering the causes and consequences of the Balfour Declaration, 100 years of British policy in the Middle East and current challenges in the region.
Speakers included the UK’s Development Secretary Priti Patel, Labour’s Shadow Foreign Secretary Emily Thornberry, Foreign and Commonwealth Office Permanent Under Secretary Sir Simon McDonald, and Israeli opposition leader Isaac Herzog.
