Way back during the 17th and 18th centuries, Britain had a reputation in Europe as “perfidious Albion.” The Cambridge English Dictionary defines “perfidious” as “unable to be trusted, or showing no loyalty” and offers “treacherous” as a synonym. Albion is a poetic name for England or Britain.

Israel owes its very existence to support from Britain a century ago. And now it has turned its back on commitments made then that could imperil the Jewish state now. Perfidious Albion lives on.

On Nov. 2, 1917, in the midst of World War I, Foreign Secretary Arthur Balfour declared with “much pleasure” the British government’s “sympathy with Jewish Zionist aspirations.” He promised that the United Kingdom would do its best to bring about “the establishment of a national home in Palestine for the Jewish people.”

The British government has broken that pledge numerous times over the past century including when:

– The League of Nations endorsed Balfour’s Declaration and assigned responsibility for administering Palestine to the British after World War I. Just five years after the declaration, Colonial Secretary Winston Churchill carved off three-quarters of Palestine to create the Arab emirate of Transjordan.

– The British government failed to implement the recommendations of its 1937 commission to divide Palestine into two states, a smaller one with a Jewish majority and a larger one with an Arab majority.

– The British drastically restricted Jewish immigration to Palestine only months before the outbreak of World War II.

— This July, less than two years after the attack on Israel by Hamas terrorists, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced his government would recognize a Palestinian state unless Israel committed to, among other things, an immediate ceasefire and a long-term sustainable peace. Even though he urged Hamas to release hostages and commit to a ceasefire and disarmament, he offered no specific consequences if they did not follow his wishes. Israel was called on to make commitments, while Hamas just got a lecture. On Sept. 21, Starmer followed through and announced recognition of a Palestinian state.

Hamas is indeed winning as the British recognition of a Palestinian state shows. The Hamas attack on Oct. 7 was launched in large part to scuttle an imminent agreement between Israel and Saudi Arabia that would have been a huge step toward peace in the Middle East. It succeeded in that aim, too.

Starmer’s move will inevitably prove counterproductive. When Israel sees Britain, midwife to its birth, turn against it, it will understand that it can no longer count on world support for its survival. It will hunker down and be less amenable to peace. As part of a go-it-alone movement, Israeli right-wing politicians are already threatening to annex the West Bank, which has an Arab majority.

While Britain recognized a Palestinian state, Singapore came up with a more nuanced policy. Its two ministers responsible for foreign policy stated: “Hamas has consistently rejected Israel’s right to exist. It has yet to renounce terrorism or agree to disarm. In fact, Hamas has vowed to repeat the terrorist attacks of 7 October, if given the opportunity again.” On the other hand, they justly condemned Israel for actions in Gaza that “have gone too far for too long.” They concluded that Singapore “will recognise the State of Palestine when it has an effective government that accepts Israel’s right to exist and categorically renounces terrorism.”

Britain stood alone against the evils of Nazi aggression in 1940. That was indeed the country’s finest hour. Fifty years later when Iraq invaded Kuwait, Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher responded: “You don’t negotiate with someone who marches into another country, devastates it, killing whoever… stands in his way. You get him out, make him pay and see that he is never in a position to do these things again.” Another fine hour.

Two of the best years of my life were spent in Britain. I still drink English tea, quaff British ale, read British novelists and watch British crime shows. It pains me to write this column decrying that country for betraying its century-old promise to sympathize with “Jewish Zionist aspirations” and reaffirming its centuries-old reputation as “perfidious Albion.”