In 1917, the British government made a promise known as the Balfour Declaration. This statement committed Britain to helping create a “national home for the Jewish people” in Palestine. For many, this marked the start of Western support for what would become the state of Israel. But was this promise really about helping Jews, or was there something more to it?

At the time, Britain was dealing with a lot of anti-Semitic feelings. Foreign Secretary Arthur Balfour, who issued the declaratio...