Great Britain and the Palestinian people have had what can best be described as a troubled relationship, even before the recent news came out that former British prime minister Tony Blair may play a key role in Gaza if a ceasefire takes hold. But it was long before that, in 1922, that London was given the mandate over Palestine by the League of Nations — an early forerunner to today's United Nations — after the end of the Ottoman empire. However the British foreign secretary at the time, Arthur Balfour, had also promised Zionist leaders in his country that a "Jewish homeland" could be established inside Palestine. His letter on the topic came to be known as the Balfour Declaration. Donald Trump's Gaza peace plan: What's at stake 02:34 As a result of the letter, there was an increase in Jewish migration to Palestine. Even though the Balfour Declaration said that nothing should prejudice the rights of the local Arab population, the people living there and then Arab leaders in other countries who had been promised independence, felt betrayed by the British. This marked the beginning of the historical and ongoing problems between Israel and the Palestinains. And even though Britain, faced with growing problems and conflicts of interest, gave the mandate back to the United Nations in 1947, and the United Nations then proposed two states alongside one another, these problems have never been resolved. Displaced Palestinians shelter in makeshift tents along Gaza coast .Displaced Palestinians shelter in makeshift tents along Gaza coast .