Policy of Deceit: Britain and Palestine, 1914-1939

The untold story of Britain’s role in the Israel-Palestine conflict

’Policy of Deceit is the work of a lifetime, a forensic, fair-minded examination of the Hussein-McMahon correspondence that exposes how the British government broke its promises to the people of Palestine.’

--TLS, Books of the Year

In this eye-opening book, Peter Shambrook delves into the secret correspondence between the British High Commissioner in Egypt, Sir Henry McMahon, and the Sharif of Mecca during the First World War. McMahon promised the Sharif an independent Arab state, including Palestine, after the war, in exchange for his alliance with Britain against the Ottomans. But what happened next changed the course of history.

Despite the promises made, two years later Lloyd George’s government declared that Palestine would be for the global Jewish community. Shambrook’s meticulous analysis of official records and private papers reveals the behind-the-scenes machinations that led to this betrayal of the Arabs and exposes how successive British governments blocked the publication of the Sharif and McMahon’s correspondence.

Presenting compelling evidence, Shambrook debunks the myth perpetuated by Britain and pro-Zionist historians that Palestine was never part of the lands guaranteed to the Sharif. He lays bare the truth and its devastating consequences, which have reverberated throughout the decades-long conflict in the Middle East. Shockingly, no British government has launched an impartial investigation into this matter or officially acknowledged its betrayal of the Palestinian people.

This definitive work is a must-read for anyone interested in the history of the Israel-Palestine conflict, revealing a hidden chapter of British deceit and shedding light on the ongoing tensions in the region.

Peter Shambrook is an independent scholar and historical consultant to the Balfour Project, which works to advance equal rights for all in Palestine/Israel. Over the course of his career he has held a number of research positions, including at Durham University and at the Centre for Lebanese Studies in Oxford. He lives in Durham.