Jewish spies in Ottoman Palestine were essential is gaining the British support necessary for the promulgation of the 1917 Balfour Declaration in support of the establishment of a Jewish homeland, according to a new study by former Mossad commander Efraim Halevy.
According to Halevy, intelligence gathered by the pre-state underground NILI intelligence network during the First World War was key in winning over British support, especially as it proved vital in the British conquest of Palestine.
Halevi pointed out that during the deliberations over the declaration in the British cabinet only two Zionist representatives were present, Jewish Federation in England President Chaim Weizmann and NILI chief Aaron Aaronsohn.
NILI “proved how a handful of determined people can transcend their immediate condition, and through the power of their convictions, win over powerful international figures to support their cause,” he wrote, adding that “as we approach the 100-year anniversary of the Balfour Declaration, we should also highlight those who helped bring it about."
