An alleged Palestinian activist has ‘ruined’ a 1914 portrait of Lord Balfour, a key figure in the establishment of Israel, at Trinity College, Cambridge.
According to the BBC, Palestine Action said one of its activists had ‘ruined’ the painting by ‘slashing’ it, and spraying it with red paint.
Lord Balfour was foreign secretary in 1917 when a declaration was made pledging Britain’s support for the establishment ‘in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people’ and has been seen by some historians as a starting point for the Arab-Israeli conflict.
The BBC quotes a spokeswoman for Trinity College as saying: ‘Trinity College regrets the damage caused to a portrait of Arthur James Balfour during public opening hours. The police have been informed. Support is available for any member of the college community affected.’
Palestine Action said in a statement: ‘Palestine Action ruined a 1914 painting by Philip Alexius de László inside Trinity College, University of Cambridge of Lord Arthur James Balfour − the colonial administrator and signatory of the Balfour Declaration.’
[Image: Detail from an 1908 portrait by De László, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Balfour#/media/File:Arthur_James_Balfour,_1st_Earl_of_Balfour_by_Philip_Alexius_de_L%C3%A1szl%C3%B3.jpg]