ICSPR: On the 109th Anniversary of the Balfour Declaration, the Nakba Continues, and the Rights of the Palestinian People, Foremost Among Them the Right of Return and Self-Determination, Shall Never Expire

Date: 2 November 2026

Press Statement

ICSPR: On the 109th Anniversary of the Balfour Declaration, the Nakba Continues, and the Rights of the Palestinian People, Foremost Among Them the Right of Return and Self-Determination, Shall Never Expire

On the 109th anniversary of the infamous Balfour Declaration, issued on 2 November 1917, the International Commission to Support Palestinian Rights (ICSPR) recalls one of the defining milestones in the historical and colonial injustice inflicted upon the Palestinian people. At that time, Britain issued a declaration pledging to grant a homeland it did not own to those who had no legitimate claim to it, in violation of the rights and will of the Palestinian people. This paved the way for the 1948 Palestinian Nakba, the forced displacement of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians, the confiscation of their land and property, and the denial of their national and historical rights.

After 109 years, the Nakba continues in even more horrific forms, manifested in the ongoing genocidal war, destruction, forced displacement, and starvation in the Gaza Strip, as well as settlement crimes, annexation, displacement, and persistent attacks across the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem. These developments reflect the continuation of a colonial project aimed at uprooting the Palestinian people from their land and denying them their rights, amid the international community’s failure to act and the continued absence of accountability.

ICSPR affirms that Britain’s responsibility for the Balfour Declaration does not expire with the passage of time. Nor does recognition of the State of Palestine absolve Britain of its historical, legal, and moral responsibilities. These responsibilities require a formal apology to the Palestinian people, reparation and compensation for the harm inflicted, and concrete measures to end support for the occupation and bring its colonial policies to an end.

The Commission further stresses that the Palestinian refugee issue is neither a temporary humanitarian nor relief matter. Rather, it is a political and legal issue rooted in the continued denial of the rights of millions of Palestinians, foremost among them the right to return to their homes from which they were forcibly displaced, as well as the right to compensation and the restitution of property, in accordance with international legitimacy resolutions, particularly UN General Assembly Resolution 194.

ICSPR emphasizes that refugees’ rights are not subject to a statute of limitations. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) embodies international responsibility and serves as a UN witness to the ongoing refugee question. Targeting the Agency, undermining its mandate, or jeopardizing its resources and personnel constitutes a direct threat to refugees’ rights and dignity, and an attempt to erase the international community’s responsibility toward their cause. Accordingly, ensuring the Agency’s continued operations, securing sustainable funding, and protecting its UN mandate constitute binding international obligations from which the international community cannot evade responsibility.

In fulfillment of its human rights and humanitarian responsibilities, the International Commission to Support Palestinian Rights (ICSPR):

1. Calls on Britain to assume its historical, legal, and moral responsibility for the Balfour Declaration, issue a formal apology to the Palestinian people, and ensure reparations and fair compensation for the injustices resulting from it.
2. Calls on the international community and the United Nations to fulfill their responsibilities by providing international protection for the Palestinian people, halting the crimes of genocide, forced displacement, settlement expansion, and annexation, working to end the occupation, and enabling the Palestinian people to exercise their right to self-determination and independence.
3. Demands sustainable political and financial support for UNRWA, the protection of its UN mandate, personnel, and facilities, and the rejection of all attempts to undermine its role or liquidate the Palestinian refugee issue.
4. Affirms the necessity of guaranteeing the right of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes, receive compensation, and recover their properties, in accordance with UN resolutions and international law. It rejects treating the refugee issue as a separate humanitarian relief file detached from its political and legal roots.
5. Calls for the activation of international accountability and justice mechanisms and the prosecution of occupation leaders responsible for genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. It also calls for an arms embargo on the occupying power and the imposition of necessary sanctions to ensure its compliance with international law.
6. Calls on Palestinian leaders and political forces to restore national unity, unify the national vision and strategy, rebuild representative institutions on democratic and participatory foundations, and hold comprehensive elections in a manner that strengthens the Palestinian people’s capacity to confront liquidation and displacement schemes and safeguard their national rights.

The International Commission to Support Palestinian Rights (ICSPR) affirms that the passage of 109 years since the Balfour Declaration does not extinguish the rights of the Palestinian people, nor does it transform historical injustice into a legitimate reality. True justice cannot be achieved through humanitarian aid or political recognition alone. Rather, it requires addressing the root causes of the Nakba, ending the occupation, imposing sanctions, holding those responsible for international crimes accountable, and enabling the Palestinian people to exercise their inalienable rights to self-determination, freedom, independence, and the establishment of a fully sovereign, independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital.