Lloyd George Hükümeti: Balfour Deklarasyonu ile Yahudilere Ulusal Yurt Sözü Verilmesi (1916-1920)

Filistin, uzun süre “tüm toprakların en küçüğü” olarak adlandırılmıştır. Buna karşın üç semavi dinin kutsal alanlarına ev sahipliği yaptığı için yerküre üzerindeki en değerli/övülmüş toprak parçaları arasında özel bir yere sahiptir. Filistin, Yavuz Sultan Selim’in 1517 senesindeki Mısır Seferi ile Osmanlı topraklarına katılmış ve 1917 yılına kadar 400 yıl Osmanlı idaresinde kalmıştır. Osmanlılar öncesinde Rome dönemi uygulamaları takip edilerek Yahudilerin bir kez daha bölgeye hakim olmasının engellenmesi amacıyla Filistin’de küçük koloni ya da idareler kurulmuştu. Osmanlı idaresinde Filistin’de yaşayan Yahudiler de Osmanlı hoşgörü ve dini özgürlük ortamından diğer haklar gibi yararlanıyorlardı. 1897 yılında Basel Kongresi ile Dünya Siyonist hareketi Filistin’de bir Yahudi Devleti kurmak için harekete geçerek ilk olarak Sultan II. Abdülhamit ile görüştü. Fakat bu görüşmeden istenilen netice elde edilemedi ve hatta Yahudi hacıların Filistin’deki ziyaret süresine sınırlama getirilerek, de facto bir yerleşimin önü kesilmek istendi. Fakat yerel idarecilerin rüşvetle iş görmeleri söz konusu kuralın yıllar içinde delinmesinin yolunu açtı. Yakın gelecekteki planlar için bu gedik yeterli değildi. Siyonistlerin beklediği fırsat I. Dünya Savaşı esnasında savaş ekonomisini sürdüremez hale gelen İngiltere’nin çare arayışları esnasında ortaya çıktı. 1916 yılında Başbakanlık görevini üstlenen Lloyd George bir Siyonist taraftarıydı ve Kabinedeki Dışişleri Bakanı Arthur Balfour yayınladığı deklarasyonla Filistin’de bir Yahudi devleti kurulmasına yardım edileceği sözünü verdi. Yahudi Devleti için önce Filistin’in Osmanlılardan alınması gerekiyordu ve Yahudi bankerlerden destek bekleniyordu. Bu çalışmada İngiliz Dışişleri Bakanlığı arşivlerinde bulunan dönemin yazışmalarında İngiltere’deki Siyonist hareket ile Filistin’in işgaline giden süreç ve işgalin yapılış şekli irdelenecektir. Bu devlete yönelik Arap karşıtlığı ve Şerif Hüseyin ile oğlu Faysal’ın Balfour Deklarasyonu’nu kabulüyle İsrail Devleti’nin kuruluşuna yaptıkları katkı da ele alınacaktır.

The Lloyd George Government of the UK: Balfour Declaration the Promise for a National Home to Jews (1916-1920)

Palestine, throughout modern known history has been geographically called “the least of all lands”. Meanwhile because hosted holy shrines of three monotheistic religions, it was/is one of the most praised/precious small piece of land on the globe. Palestine came under Ottoman rule after Sultan Selim’s Egyptian Campaign in 1517 and until the year of 1917 was an Ottoman land during 400 years. Before Ottomans, following old Roman experience, small colonies or administrations had been planted in Palestine with the express intention of preventing the political regeneration of the Jews. Under Ottoman rule, Jews and other two religions have been peacefully living in Palestine. In 1897 at Basel Congress, World Zionist Organization decided to establish a Jewish State in Palestine. They asked Ottoman Sultan Abdulhamid II for a national home in Palestine but could not achieve what they desired. Abdulhamid II also restricted Jewish pilgrimage to Palestine to prevent any possible de facto unpermitted foreign settlement of Jews. But, due to corruption and bribery of local rulers that rule could not be implemented properly. Nowadays addressing their future plans Zionists were asking to send high number of Jews to Palestine and the progress taken by bribery was not enough such kind of stream. The opportunity Zionists looking for emerged during WWI while British search of support for unsustainable war economy. In the year of 1916, a Zionist sympathizer Lloyd George became British Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of his Cabinet Arthur Balfour proclaimed his famous publication promising a national home hence Israeli State for Jews. To realize that aim Palestine had to be occupied and become a British colony. This paper will search archive documents and related second hand publications to shed light on Zionist activities and establishment process of Israel, special focus will be put on the role of Lloyd George Government. Arab reactions, especially the attitude of Sheriff Hussein and his son Faisal to the developments also will be discussed.

Keywords:

Palestine, Zionists, Britain, Ottomans, Arabs Faisal,

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