The Centenary of San Remo: 1920-2020
Foundations of the modern State of Israel
Exactly 100 years ago - on 24th and 25th April 1920 - at a meeting held in the Italian seaside resort of San Remo, the Principal Allied Powers (Britain, France, Italy and Japan), together with the USA, decided that the international community should ensure the reconstitution of the Jewish homeland in Palestine by means of the Mandate for Palestine.
This historic event will be commemorated coming weekend (see details below).
The decisions taken at San Remo were part of the Paris Peace Conference – a huge international meeting lasting two years (1919-1920) to settle the outcome of the First World War – a devastating conflict that took the lives of over 20 million people (military personnel and civilians) and changed the face of large parts of Europe, Africa and Central Asia.
The meeting in San Remo transformed the Middle East. The modern states of Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Jordan all owe their existence to the decisions made at San Remo.
San Remo also paved the way for the Jewish people to return to the land of their forefathers.
Notwithstanding the fact that the nations of the world reneged on their promises and ignored the plight of European Jews during the 1930’s and 1940’s, the decision in San Remo laid the foundations of the State of Israel, that was created on 14th May 1948.
The decisions made at San Remo therefore have important spiritual, legal, historical and political consequences today.
It is remarkable that no-one today questions the existence of Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq – while the Jewish State of Israel is constantly being criticized, and its legitimacy is often challenged.
The decisions made in San Remo continue to have significance under international law. In the San Remo resolution and the Mandate for Palestine the international community promised to ensure a safe haven for the Jewish people in their historic homeland. This was to be in the area between the Mediterranean and the Jordan River, including Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria. At that time, the “West Bank” did not exist.
These instruments conferred legal and moral rights on the Jewish people concerning the territory of Palestine - rights which today are being challenged in the international institutions, such as the United Nations General Assembly and the International Criminal Court.
But San Remo is about more than law. It is about the way nations deal with the Jewish people. It is about the choices nations make: whether or not to align themselves with God’s purposes with the Jewish people.
The leaders of most nations today have never heard of San Remo. They have no idea that 100 years ago, their nations cooperated with the God of Israel to enable His people to return home. And they have no idea that the opposition to Israel in the UN today threatens the spiritual and material wellbeing of their own nations.
It is absolutely essential that the church worldwide raise a voice against the tide of anti-Israel sentiment. It is our task to “stand in the gap” for the Jewish people, and make sure that they can live in safety in the land to which the Lord is bringing them home.
As Christians, we have a responsibility to remind the nations of the promises they made 100 years ago – which were referred to in the Covenant of the League of Nations as a “sacred trust of civilization”.
The decisions taken a century ago should encourage us in our Christian faith. They are evidence that God is faithful to the Jewish people, and that He is at work in the world, using Christian men and women in positions of influence to shape events towards the accomplishment of His goal – the coming Kingdom of Messiah.
Christians for Israel has collected a number of resources that are available on our website: www.c4israel.org/san-remo
In addition, The European Coalition for Israel – www.ec4i.org - is planning a very important Livestream commemoration event on 26th April (see details below). ECI has been in contact with the Heads of State of most UN nations. Many have responded with support for the 100th Anniversary Commemoration of San Remo and words of encouragement for the Jewish people. These testimonies will be shared on 26th April, along with other messages.
Please pray for this event. Pray also for the leaders of your nation. And pray for the Jewish people.
In His shalom,
Cornelis Kant - Executive Director
Andrew Tucker - Adviser, International Affairs
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