Middle East Conflict Biographies | Herbert Louis Samuel Biography

Born on November 6, 1870 (Liverpool, England)
Died on February 5, 1963 (London, England)

High Commissioner of Palestine
British politician

As the first British High Commissioner for Palestine, a role in which he served from 1920 to 1925, Herbert Louis Samuel faced many challenges. The experienced British politician tried to please three very different groups in the region: the Zionists, who wanted him to support a Jewish homeland in Palestine; the Arabs, who insisted that he protect their historic claims to land and political representation; and the British, who asked that he rectify these conflicting demands to provide a politically stable country that the British could continue to help toward independence. In the end, Samuel satisfied no one completely, a result that has been all too common in a region deeply divided by religious differences and conflicting claims to limited...