‘Britain owes Palestine’ petition handed in at No 10 demanding reparations

A “Britain owes Palestine” petition demanding an apology and reparations from the UK for alleged historic international law violations has been handed in at Downing Street.

The petition demands the UK take responsibility for “serial international law violations” including alleged war crimes committed during the British occupation of Palestine between 1917 and 1948.

The 400-page legal document, which was handed into No 10 on Wednesday, launches the Britain owes Palestine campaign demanding official UK acknowledgement of “wrongdoing, apology and reparations for creating a century of oppression”.

The petition’s organisers said it details Britain’s “unlawful legacy” including the Balfour Declaration in 1917 which stated support for establishing a home for Jewish people in Palestine, “acting as an occupying power during its self-granted mandate” and “subsequent systematic abuse of the Palestinian people”.

Organisers added that it shows how “ongoing Palestinian suffering can be traced directly to Britain’s violations of international law during occupation and withdrawal”.

They added that the UK Government is “obliged to respond” to the petition or it could “find itself brought before the courts in judicial review proceedings”.

Lead petitioner 91-year-old Munib al-Masri, who was shot in the leg by British soldiers aged 13, said he had been “waiting” for this day for 83 years.

Speaking outside Downing Street, Mr al-Masri told the PA news agency: “I was eight-years-old when our teacher told us about the Balfour Declaration and since then I’ve been trying to challenge this letter which caused all our problems in Palestine.

“My dream is being fulfilled today to tell the British you were wrong and for committing all these crimes, you should apologise to the Palestinians.”

The Palestinian industrialist added: “The current crisis in Palestine was ‘made in Britain’, through a catalogue of systemic violations and abuse of the Palestinian people. Together we have suffered more than a century of oppression.

“Britain can only play its part in building a just peace in the region today if it acknowledges its defining role in the horrors of the past. An apology would be a just start to what Palestinians expect from the British Government.”

Historian Avi Shlaim said the evidence presented in the petition was “compelling”.

Speaking outside Downing Street, he told the PA news agency: “Britain has a historic responsibility for the loss of Palestine. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict was made here in Britain during the British mandate for Palestine.

“Britain essentially stole Palestine from the Palestinians and gave it to the Zionists.

“So, the Balfour Declaration was the original sin. And I would argue that the Israeli war in Gaza, the genocide in Gaza, is a direct result of the Balfour Declaration and Britain’s betrayal of the Palestinians.”

Mr Shlaim added: “What upsets us is that no British prime minister has ever admitted any responsibility and now we are presenting this petition asking for British acknowledgement of its record, and for an apology to the Palestinian people.

“A lot of people don’t understand the history, so they don’t understand how guilty Britain is.”

International human rights lawyer and former UN special rapporteur on human rights and counterterrorism Ben Emmerson KC said: “This petition demonstrates, by reference to a comprehensive analysis of contemporary evidence, the extent of British responsibility for the terrible suffering in Palestine, which can be traced back to Britain’s violations of international law during its occupation and subsequent withdrawal.

“These historic injustices continue to shape the realities on the ground today. Britain owes a debt to the Palestinian people. Today’s petition is based upon the international obligations of the United Kingdom to make amends.”