How did the McMahon-Hussein Correspondence conflict with the Balfour Declaration?

Answer 1

During the McMahon-Hussein correspondence in 1915/1916 the British promised the Arabs (Hussein was at their time their main spokesman) an own sovereign, independant country if they helf the British army defeating the Osman Empire during the 1st World War. Instead, not only did the Sykes-Picot agreement between France and England already divide the future Arab country in a french and a british part. With promising the influential Jews surrounding Chaim Weizman to form a Jewish homeland in Palastine (Balfour declaration), the British yet again had clashed the promise made by MacMahon to the Arabs.

Answer 2

There is an alleged contradiction between the McMahon-Hussein Correspondence of 1915 and the Balfour Declaration of 1917. The McMahon Correspondence, is viewed by some (mostly Arabs and their sympathizers) to give Mandatory Palestine to the Arabs since McMahon generally promised Hussein the majority of the Arab-populated Middle East. However, there were some exceptions and the correspondence states in relevant part: The districts of Mersina and Alexandretta, and portions of Syria lying to the west of the districts of Damascus, Homs, Hama and Aleppo, cannot be said to be purely Arab, and must on that account be excepted from the proposed limits and boundaries [of the Arab State]. Since all of the British Mandate of Palestine lies west of these Syrian districts, it is at best ambiguous about whether Israel/Palestine belonged in the Arab area designated.

By contrast, the Balfour Declaration of 1917 clearly describes that a Jewish Homeland would be created in the region of Palestine. If these two promises are to be read to avoid conflict, this can easily be done. However, since the promises are, at best, ambiguous, it can be said that Palestine was twice promised.