Britain Owes Palestine

Posted: 11th September 2025

Fourteen Palestinians have launched a legal petition directed at the British Government, challenging it to account for Britain’s systematic breaches of international law during its occupation of Palestine (1917-48). The first petitioner is Munib Masri, who initiated the petition. If the Government does not respond the issue will be referred for Judicial Review.

The only consistent policy of our Government in the Mandate period was to prevent the emergence of representative institutions for as long as there was a Palestinian majority population in Palestine.

The petition has seven requests of our Government, spelt out below. The Britain Palestine Project asks our Government to respond swiftly and comprehensively to those requests.

Britain will recognise the State of Palestine alongside Israel later this month. That must be a turning point for our country’s relations with the Palestinian and Israeli peoples. We have a unique historic responsibility to do right by them – acknowledging our past mistakes and committing our Government to do better. It’s time.

Best wishes,


Andrew Whitley
Chair, Britain Palestine Project

THE PETITIONERS’ REQUESTS

The petitioners have formulated seven specific requests to His Majesty’s Government. These are designed not only to recognise historical responsibility but to begin a process of reconciliation, justice and reparation:

Consider the petition, together with the evidence on which it is based, in accordance with Government commitments to re-evaluate evidence of moral and unlawful wrongdoing in Britain’s colonial past.

Conduct a search for any remaining documents, evidence and information not yet released into the UK National Archives that support the claims of the petition, make them publicly available, and take them into account.

Reach a view on the petition that is consistent with frankness, transparency and candour, in keeping with public commitments to honour the rule of law, including international law.

Respond to the petition fully and publicly.

Acknowledge the wrongful acts committed by the UK during the period and promote national understanding of the adverse consequences of that history.

Provide an official public apology in the form of a statement to be read in the House of Commons by the Prime Minister.

Investigate in good faith what forms of accountability, reparation, satisfaction and investment in the Palestinian people and State of Palestine are appropriate in light of the wrongful acts and Britain’s acknowledged responsibility.

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