Policy of Deceit

Shortlisted for the Palestine Book Awards 2025 ‘ 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.’ The Times Literary Supplement , Books of the Year This is the untold story of Britain’s role in the Israel–Palestine conflict. During the First World War, the British High Commissioner in Egypt reached a secret agreement with the Sharif of Mecca. If the Sharif allied with Britain against the Ottomans, after the war an independent Arab state that included Palestine would be established. The Sharif kept his word. The British did not. Instead, two years later Lloyd George’s government declared that Palestine would be for the global Jewish community. Through meticulous analysis of official records and private papers, Peter Shambrook exposes how Britain came to betray the Arabs. He debunks the myth that Palestine was never part of the lands guaranteed to the Sharif and details the attempts of successive British governments to prevent the truth from ever becoming public. For anyone interested in the history of the Israel–Palestine conflict, this is a must-read.

Shortlisted for the Palestine Book Awards 2025 ‘ The work of a lifetime, a forensic, fair-minded examination of the Hussein–McMahon correspondencethat exposes how the British government broke its promises to the people of Palestine.’ The Times Literary Supplement , Books of the Year This is the untold story of Britain’s role in the Israel–Palestine conflict. During the First World War, the British High Commissioner in Egypt reached a secret agreement with the Sharif of Mecca. If the Sharif allied with Britain against the Ottomans, after the war an independent Arab state that included Palestine would be established. The Sharif kept his word. The British did not. Instead, two years later Lloyd George’s government declared that Palestine would be for the global Jewish community. Through meticulous analysis of official records and private papers, Peter Shambrook exposes how Britain came to betray the Arabs. He debunks the myth that Palestine was never part of the lands guaranteed to the Sharif and details the attempts of successive British governments to prevent the truth from ever becoming public. For anyone interested in the history of the Israel–Palestine conflict, this is a must-read.

Shortlisted for the Palestine Book Awards 2025 ‘ The work of a lifetime, a forensic, fair-minded examination of the Hussein–McMahon correspondencethat exposes how the British government broke its promises to the people of Palestine.’ The Times Literary Supplement , Books of the Year This is the untold story of Britain’s role in the Israel–Palestine conflict. During the First World War, the British High Commissioner in Egypt reached a secret agreement with the Sharif of Mecca. If the Sharif allied with Britain against the Ottomans, after the war an independent Arab state that included Palestine would be established. The Sharif kept his word. The British did not. Instead, two years later Lloyd George’s government declared that Palestine would be for the global Jewish community. Through meticulous analysis of official records and private papers, Peter Shambrook exposes how Britain came to betray the Arabs. He debunks the myth that Palestine was never part of the lands guaranteed to the Sharif and details the attempts of successive British governments to prevent the truth from ever becoming public. For anyone interested in the history of the Israel–Palestine conflict, this is a must-read.

'A magnificent new book ... a major historical achievement' Peter Oborne, Middle East Eye 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.