<Li> 4 October 1917: "...(Balfour) stated that the German Government were making great efforts to capture the sympathy of the Zionist Movement . This Movement, though opposed by a number of wealthy Jews in this country, had behind it the support of a majority of Jews, at all events in Russia and America, and possibly in other countries...Mr. Balfour then read a very sympathetic declaration by the French Government which had been conveyed to the Zionists, and he stated that he knew that President Wilson was extremely favourable to the Movement ." </Li> <Li> 25 October 1917: "...the Secretary mentioned that he was being pressed by the Foreign Office to bring forward the question of Zionism, an early settlement of which was regarded as of great importance ." </Li> <Ul> <Li> 31 October 1917: "(Balfour) stated that he gathered that everyone was now agreed that, from a purely diplomatic and political point of view, it was desirable that some declaration favourable to the aspirations of the Jewish nationalists should now be made . The vast majority of Jews in Russia and America, as, indeed, all over the world, now appeared to be favourable to Zionism . If we could make a declaration favourable to such an ideal, we should be able to carry on extremely useful propaganda both in Russia and America ." </Li> </Ul> <Li> 31 October 1917: "(Balfour) stated that he gathered that everyone was now agreed that, from a purely diplomatic and political point of view, it was desirable that some declaration favourable to the aspirations of the Jewish nationalists should now be made . The vast majority of Jews in Russia and America, as, indeed, all over the world, now appeared to be favourable to Zionism . If we could make a declaration favourable to such an ideal, we should be able to carry on extremely useful propaganda both in Russia and America ." </Li>

What was the balfour declaration and what did it do