Faculty News

The Balfour Declaration and Resolution 242

Rabbi Michael Cohen writes that the two historic documents provide a window into contrasting perspectives of the Arab-Israeli conflict, and highlight the importance of the dual narrative.

Jerusalem Post

"It is essential that Israelis and Palestinians – as well as organizations and governments from outside the region working to mitigate and resolve the conflict – better understand the two narratives," he writes. 

The Balfour Declaration was a public statement issued by the British government during World War I announcing support for the establishment of a "national home for the Jewish people" in Palestine.

UN Resolution 242 is the basis for the Egyptian-Israeli (1979) and the Jordanian-Israeli (1994) peace treaties, as well as the ongoing Palestinian-Israeli talks since Oslo (1993).