Pro-Palestinian vandals smash cabinets to steal sculpture of Israel's first president and deface university buildings on anniversary of Balfour Declaration

Pro-Palestinian vandals have stolen sculptures of Israel 's first president and vandalised university buildings on the anniversary of a declaration promising Jews a home in Palestine .

Campaigners from Palestine Action smashed cabinets and stole the two statues of Israel's first president, Chaim Weizmann, from the Chemistry Building at the University of Manchester.

They also defaced the University of Cambridge 's Institute for Manufacturing building as well as throwing red paint over at the offices of the charity Jewish National Fund in London .

The group shared pictures of the defacing and a video of them smashing the glass case where the sculptures were on display.

The declaration was a public statement written and issued by the British Government in 1917 during the first World War announcing its support for the establishment of a 'national home for the Jewish people' in Palestine.

The declaration was named after Arthur Balfour, the then-British Foreign Secretary.

In the campaign group's X page, formerly Twitter, it said: 'Palestine Action abduct sculptures of Israel's first president, Chaim Weizmann, from the University of Manchester. Weizmann secured the Balfour Declaration, a British pledge written 107 years ago, which began the ethnic cleansing of Palestine by signing the land away.'

In a separate post on the spray painting of the University of Cambridge's building, the group added: 'Students, in collaboration with Palestine Action, spray Cambridge University's Institute of Manufacturing.

'Balfour, who signed away the land of Palestine, was educated by the university. Today, the institute works with weapons companies arming genocide.'

Campaigners also vandalised the Jewish National Fund (JNF) offices in Hendon and Hampstead, London, with red paint.

The social media post said: 'The JNF raise funds to demolish Palestinian homes and build settlements on top of stolen Palestinian land - a recognised war crime. Amongst their honorary patrons is the prime minister of Israel.'

CCTV shows the moment the attack happened around 4.30 this morning.

In a statement on its website, Palestine Action said: 'Today, Palestine Action have marked, by taking two sculptures of Israel's first president, Chaim Weizmann, from its display case at University of Manchester.'

The statement went on to say: 'Over several meetings, Weizmann who as 'the rocks of Judea, obstacles that had to be cleared on a difficult path', lobbied Balfour into assisting the Zionist colonisation of Palestine.

'In 1917, a year after Balfour was appointed UK foreign secretary, he penned the Balfour Declaration, promising a 'Jewish homeland in Palestine'.

'The public pledge by Britain came in the form of a letter dated 2nd November 1917 to Lord Rothschild, a close friend of Weizmann. On behalf of Britain, Balfour promised away the land of Palestine – which he never had the right to do.'

Concerning the spray painting of the University of Cambridge's building, which they say was done in collaboration with students, the group said in a statement: 'Cambridge educated Balfour and, until direct action destroyed it, his portrait was hung in Trinity College.

'Our university's complicity in the genocide of the Palestinians runs deep; the criminology department at Cambridge University helps train 'Israeli' police and military; the Department of Material Science partners with 'Israeli' arms companies to produce armoured vehicles; Rolls-Royce operates out of the Institute for Manufacturing.

'We must challenge complicity wherever we see it, so today we showed the world the true colours of these institutes of death; blood on the institution's walls for blood on the institution's hands.'

A spokesperson for Greater Manchester Police: 'Shortly before midnight last night (1 November 2024), we received a report of a burglary at a university building on Oxford Road, Manchester.

Officers have attended the scene and liaised with the university and their security team as part of their ongoing enquiries.

An investigation is underway and anyone with any information is asked to contact police via 101 or gmp.police.uk, quoting log 4035 of 01/11/24.

'You can also contact the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.'

A University of Manchester spokesperson said: 'We are aware of footage circulating online following an incident last night at our Chemistry Building. We have reported the incident to Greater Manchester Police.'

The University of Cambridge has been approached for comment.