Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has demanded £2 trillion in reparations from the United Kingdom for its rule over Palestine between 1917 and 1948.
“This is an absolute disaster,” Abbas declared, as he linked Britain’s colonial role to decades of conflict still raging today.
According to him, Britain’s actions during the Mandate era—including the 1917 Balfour Declaration that promised a Jewish homeland—laid the foundation for wars, displacement, and lasting instability.
The UK administered Palestine after World War I under a League of Nations mandate. Its policies, especially the Balfour Declaration, were seen by Palestinians as a betrayal.
Historians argue this move inflamed Arab-Jewish tensions and led to mass dispossession during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war. Abbas insists Britain must now account for its role.
His demand comes as the International Court of Justice recently ordered Israel to end its occupation and compensate Palestinians for “wrongful acts.” Analysts say this judgment emboldened Abbas to press his case against the UK.
The £2 Trillion Question
The reparations figure is massive—more than half of Britain’s annual GDP, estimated at about £3 trillion. Economists doubt the claim’s feasibility, yet the legal symbolism carries weight.
The Palestinian Authority believes such a figure underscores the scale of historical injustice. Critics, however, dismiss it as unrealistic and politically charged.
This demand follows a dramatic moment in global politics. On September 21, 2025, the UK, Canada, Australia, and Portugal officially recognized Palestine as a state.
Israel condemned the move as a “reward for terrorism,” but Palestinians view it as overdue justice. Over 65,000 Palestinians have reportedly died in Gaza since the war began in October last year.
The reparations call may deepen tensions between London and Tel Aviv, while also testing Britain’s readiness to confront its colonial past.
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