Turning Perceptions into Policy: The Role of Jewish Activists, 1914–1917

Abstract

The roots of the Balfour Declaration lay in perceptions of Jews and ethnicity in the British Government, and the policy-making elite’s tendency to use nationalism as the means of capturing the perceived power of ethnic groups. By themselves, however, perceptions and tendencies were not sufficient for the development of a pro-Zionist policy. The evolution of the Balfour Declaration depended upon the opportunities that were thrown up by the circumstances of the war and the changing needs of policy-makers. As the financial and material support of neutral countries increased in importance, and the military situation on the Western front deteriorated, propaganda became ever more significant, particularly in the USA. As with other ethnic groups, this thrust the Jewish question onto the agenda in the Foreign Office. The possibility of an Allied military campaign in the Near East and the end of the Ottoman Empire also threw open the future of Palestine. Together, these conditions made the advance of a British Zionist policy possible. Even in these circumstances, however, the Anglo-Zionist alliance was not a foregone conclusion. The last critical element was that of human agency, on both the British and Zionist sides. It was undoubtedly of great significance that civil servants and politicians who were pre-disposed to the idea of a Zionist policy were in positions of influence.