It has been 101 years since the historic San Remo conference took place in the country of a great ally, Italy. Without a doubt, Israel would not be the country it is today were it not for the unprecedented agreement that was reached in San Remo by the Allied Powers. A seed was planted back then, which would turn into a mighty tree, bearing luscious fruit.
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The San Remo conference was a key milestone in making the Zionist dream a reality and restoring the Jewish people's sovereignty over their land. The mandate over our territories was given to Britain, which representatives determined, would be "responsible for putting into effect the declaration originally made on November 8, 1917 ... in favor of the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people."
If the Balfour Declaration constituted the first formal recognition of the Jewish people's right to their land, then the San Remo conference was the first time this recognition was incorporated into international law, requiring the superpowers to take action and fulfill their promise to the Jewish people. The significance of the conference, which established the legal right of a Jewish state in the land of Israel, is unparalleled.
The paramilitary organizations that fought against the British did so out of the same belief that the mandate over Palestine was entrusted to Britain for the sole purpose of fulfilling the commitment to the Jewish people. In their efforts to establish a national home for the Jews, not only did they rely on historical justice, but also international law, which affirmed our right to self-determination in our homeland.
Had it not been for the dedication of the founding fathers, the sacrifice and courage of soldiers and others who fought and defended our country, we might have never seen the establishment of a sovereign Jewish state. The San Remo conference laid the international foundation for such an event to occur, as well as the foundation for Zionism in Europe, the United States, and others parts of the world.
Israel's sixth Prime Minister, Menachem Begin used to say that sometimes even that which is obvious has to be said. The San Remo conference, which incorporated the Balfour Declaration, affirmed the establishment of a Jewish state with the understanding that "nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine, or the rights and political status enjoyed by Jews in any other country."
These words, including the promise of guaranteeing full rights to all citizens of the country and all Jews worldwide, are the fundamental values on which the future State of Israel would be built.
Israel, a Jewish and democratic state, is committed to the rights of all its citizens, and whoever tries to undermine or question this is threatening the Zionist dream. As it has done all along, Israel continues to support all who live here and believe that we are all meant to live in unity.
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