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Letter that made Israel

Balfour Declaration (November 2, 1917)

Harshal Raj Patel

Updated At : 06:33 AM Nov 02, 2025 IST

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All the present-day geopolitical brouhaha traces its roots to the Palestinian conflict that has endured for nearly a century; specifically to a letter dated November 2, 1917. It remains one of the most consequential moments in the history of “the Jewish question”, when Arthur Balfour, the British Foreign Secretary, presented a letter to Walter Rothschild, a British Zionist leader, that would shape the future of Palestine.

The Tribune, now published from Chandigarh, started publication on February 2, 1881, in Lahore (now in Pakistan). It was started by Sardar Dyal Singh Majithia, a public-spirited philanthropist, and is run by a trust comprising five eminent persons as trustees.

The Tribune, the largest selling English daily in North India, publishes news and views without any bias or prejudice of any kind. Restraint and moderation, rather than agitational language and partisanship, are the hallmarks of the newspaper. It is an independent newspaper in the real sense of the term.

The Tribune has two sister publications, Punjabi Tribune (in Punjabi) and Dainik Tribune (in Hindi).

Remembering Sardar Dyal Singh Majithia

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Letter that made Israel

Balfour Declaration (November 2, 1917)

Harshal Raj Patel

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