Arthur James Balfour Painting: During the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas, on Friday (March 8), a Palestinian supporter defaced a 1914 painting by late former British Prime Minister Arthur James Balfour after spraying it with red paint. According to media reports, this incident happened at Trinity College of Cambridge University.
Who was Arthur James Balfour?
Arthur James Balfour is also known as Lord Balfour. He served as Prime Minister of Britain from 1902 to 1905 and, while serving as Foreign Minister during Lloyd George’s tenure as Prime Minister, announced on behalf of the Cabinet the Balfour Agreement of 1917, which provided for the Jewish people in Palestine. The house was supported. Some historians see this as the starting point of the Arab-Israeli conflict.
Internet users are giving mixed reactions to the incident.
There are mixed reactions on the internet on the incident of destruction of Balfour’s painting. Some users have advocated taking strict action against such acts while some have justified it. One user said that such protesters should be put in jail, while another user said that now this is art.
The ax handle Palestine Action said that one of its activists destroyed the painting. Handle wrote the hashtag #BritainIsGuilty (Britain is guilty) in a post on this incident. Another post from this handle shared a video of the incident and wrote, “The Balfour Declaration of 1917 started the ethnic cleansing of Palestine by promising to take away land, which the British never had the right to do.” ‘
BREAKING: Palestine Action spray and slash a historic painting of Lord Balfour in Trinity College, University of Cambridge.
Written in 1917, Balfour’s declaration began the ethnic cleansing of Palestine by promising the land away — which the British never had the right to do. pic.twitter.com/CGmh8GadQG
— Palestine Action (@Pal_action) March 8, 2024
Cambridgeshire Police is investigating
According to the report of Cambridge Independent, as soon as the video of the destruction of the painting appeared on the internet, Cambridgeshire Police reached the spot. A Trinity College spokesperson released a statement, saying that the portrait of Arthur James Balfour was vandalized during public hours. Cambridgeshire Police said it had received an online report on the afternoon of 8 March and had not yet made any arrests.