Cambridge Scholars Publishing The Serendipitous Evolution of the Balfour Declaration of November 2, 1917

The Balfour Declaration was one of the most important events in the history of the Jewish people prior to the Holocaust, signaling the beginning of a new era of self-determination in the reconstituted Jewish homeland. This book provides an all-inclusive understanding of the complex geopolitical elements that shaped the facts on the ground in the Middle East. Analyzing the chain of events that led to the Balfour Declaration through a uniquely holistic approach, it demonstrates how the national interests of the nations involved in the World War I theater intersected with those of the Jewish nation in the final phase of its long march towards political sovereignty. Like the multiple parts of precision clockwork, each element, regardless of shape or size, played an essential part in the functioning of the whole, while the absence of one of them would have altered the outcome of the entire process. The text is bound to be of interest to specialists and researchers wanting insights into the historic, international and psycho-sociological processes that have been changing the Middle East throughout recent decades. It will also serve as an important academic source, or even a textbook, for university courses about the history of Israel and the Middle East. About the Author Paul Goldstein is a Holocaust survivor who immigrated to Canada from Belgium. After years of employment in the manufacturing industry where he rose to the top of one of the major packaging companies in Montréal, he became totally engrossed in combating the resurgence of neo-Nazi movements in Canada and in the world. Later, he embarked on what turned out to be a successful and distinguished 50-year financial planning career. He obtained his Master’s degree in Political Science from the University of Toronto and received his PhD from Ariel University, Israel. Eyal Lewin is Assistant Professor in the Political Science Department at Ariel University, Israel, and Editor-in-Chief of National Resilience, Politics and Society. A Research Fellow at the Middle East and Central Asia Research Center, his publications are mainly in the fields of political psychology and political sociology and focus on Israeli society.