Activist slashes painting of Arthur Balfour over 1917 declaration

STORY: A video posted on social media by the Palestine Action protest group showed a woman spraying red paint over the life-size portrait before cutting it repeatedly with a knife – the latest in a flurry of protests prompted by the Israel-Hamas war.

Balfour’s declaration, made as Ottoman rule was crumbling in the Middle East and Britain a global power, said London would “view with favor the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people” and work toward it – albeit without prejudicing “the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities”.

It was the first time a major power had publicly expressed support for a Jewish homeland, gave a boost to the growing worldwide Zionist movement – and shaped what was to become interim British “mandate” rule of Palestine from 1918 onward.

Palestinians have long demanded that Britain apologize for the 67-word statement.