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Declaration reads, in part:
His Majesty's Government views with favor the
establishment in Palestine of a national home for the
Jewish people ... It being clearly understood that nothing
should be done which may prejudice the civil and religi-
ous rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Pales-
tine, or the rights and political status enjoyed by the Jews
in other countries.
The Declaration was written, debated, and announced
without consulting a single Arab person. In fact, the word
"Arab" does not appear in any part of the Declaration.
In the meantime, Chaim Weizman searched for additional
support and built on the Zionist foundation that had been
started by Theodore Herzl. He found a friend and ally in
the person of Jan Christian Smuts, South Africa's first
celebrated Prime Minister…
While both Herzl and Weizman preferred Palestine as a
homeland for the Jews, they were willing to consider
other areas of the world where Jews could live under
their own government. In 1902, Herzl had approached
Joseph Chamberlain, the British Colonial Secretary for
support of his idea for full-scale settlement of Jews
within the British dominions. He preferred Cyprus or the
Egyptian Sinai Peninsula...
On April 23, 1903, Chamberlain proposed Uganda for a
potential Jewish settlement. He thought the Jews might
make use of the new Ugandan railway and turn it into a
profitable enterprise.
At the Sixth Zionist Congress in 1903, Herzl accepted the
British proposal for the settlement of Jews in Uganda.
He did not give up the claim for Palestine. His goal was
to win over world leaders to the general idea of planned
Jewish settlement. Though the Ugandan scheme was
dropped without fanfare, it was seriously considered. It is
noteworthy that the most overt offers of support for the
Zionist Commission established to visit East Africa came
from South African Zionists.
Source: AFRICAN WORLD REVOLUTION:
AFRICANS AT THE CROSSROADS by John Henrik
Clarke
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