Amery, Leopold Stennet

(1873–1955)

   Pro-Zionist British statesman. When the BALFOUR Declaration of 1917 was being negotiated, Dr WEIZMANN found a valuable ally and friend in Leopold Amery, then the assistant secretary to the War Cabinet. Amery was not only attracted to the Zionist ideal as such, but was convinced that a Jewish National Home in Palestine would be an important asset to the British empire. At Balfour’s request, Amery produced the first draft of the declaration, which had to be modified later to meet the anti-Zionist objections of Anglo-Jewish leaders. At the time, Amery was also helpful to JABOTINSKY, with Weizmann’s support, in gaining approval for a Jewish legion in the British Army. As colonial secretary from 1924 to 1929, Amery was the cabinet minister directly responsible for Palestine, and took pride in the fact that this was a relatively tranquil period in the turbulent history of the mandate. He remained a staunch champion of the British commitment to Zionism, and strongly opposed the Passfield White Paper of 1930 and the Macdonald White Paper of 1939. He expressed his views as a witness before the Anglo-American Committee of Enquiry on Palestine in 1946.

   His son Julian was appointed minister of housing in the Conservative government under Edward Heath in 1970.