On this day, November 2, in 1917

The British government issued a classified statement known as the Balfour Declaration, which proclaimed Britain's support for Zionist plans to create a Jewish "national home" in Palestine. Although the Balfour Declaration stated that the civil and religious rights of existing communities in Palestine should not be compromised, the British governments obvious alliance with the Zionist Federation was enough to worry the Palestinian people and provoked Arab opposition and revolt. The tension quickly grew between the Arab people and the new Jewish state of Israel, which later became viciously protected by both the British and American governments. Hmm, no wonder this document has often been called the Root of the current problem in Palestine.