It can be argued that the Ottoman Empire was the standard carrier for all things muslim, Islam back in the day! Even their leader of the most influential muslim authority agreed with the British that the Jews had a right to exist and had a right to a homeland in Palestine! But, as usual nothing's clear and exact when it comes to the Middle East. Their support fell to the wayside relatively soon after the decision was made by the global community to support Jewish settlements in Palestine, in the Middle East. As it's explained now, the very document that encouraged the acceptance of the Jewish settlements in Palestine by the Ottoman top brass was alleged to have been forged. And so the story continues.
In short, there appeared to be a tacit Recognition of a Jewish Nation, a home in Palestine by the muslims, the Ottoman empire at least.
This acceptance appeared to be in agreement with the Balfour Declaration. Following is some of that discussion...
"In a meeting in Istanbul on August 12, 1918, Grand Vizier Talaat Pasha gave Leopold Perlmutter, a German Jewish businessman and a personal acquaintance, an official statement on behalf of the Ottoman government. Formulated during a month-long negotiation with a 16-member Jewish delegation, headed by Perlmutter and comprising Zionists and non-Zionists from Germany, Austria and the Ottoman Empire,[3] the statement acknowledged the Jewish right to national and religious revival in Palestine. "I am happy to be able to tell you that my negotiations with delegates of several Jewish organizations some time ago have led to a real result," Talaat wrote. The statement continued:
The Council of Ministers has just decided, following my statements to the Jewish delegation, to lift all restrictive measures on Jewish immigration and settlement in Palestine. Strict orders have been given to the relevant authorities to ensure a benevolent treatment of the Jewish nation in Palestine based on complete equality with the other elements of the population.
Regarding my invitation to several Jewish organizations, I declare once again, as I already did to the Jewish delegation, my sympathies for the establishment of a religious and national Jewish center in Palestine by well-organized immigration and settlement, for I am convinced of the importance and benefits of the settlement of Jews in Palestine for the Ottoman Empire. I am willing to put this work under the high protection of the Ottoman Empire, and to promote it by all means that are compatible with the sovereign rights of the Ottoman Empire and do not affect the rights of the non-Jewish population. It is my solid conviction that the special commission, which will be appointed to lay out a detailed project for this work, shall shortly complete its work. I will be happy to see the delegation here again thereafter to continue the conversations.[4]
In 1919...
Emir Faisal, King of Syria and Iraq, made a formal written agreement with Zionist leader Chaim Weizmann, which was drafted by T.E. Lawrence, whereby they would try to establish a peaceful relationship between Arabs and Jews in Palestine.[173] The 3 January 1919 Faisal–Weizmann Agreement was a short-lived agreement for Arab–Jewish cooperation on the development of a Jewish homeland in Palestine.[w] Faisal did treat Palestine differently in his presentation to the Peace Conference on 6 February 1919 saying "Palestine, for its universal character, [should be] left on one side for the mutual consideration of all parties concerned".[175][176] The agreement was never implemented.[x] In a subsequent letter written in English by Lawrence for Faisal's signature, he explained:
"We feel that the Arabs and Jes are cousins in race, suffering similar opperssion at the hands of powers stronger than themselves, and by a happy coincidence have been able to take the first step toward the attainment of their national ideals together. We Arabs, especially the educated among us, look with deepest sympathy on the Zionist movement... We will do our best, in so far as we are concerned, to help them through; we will wish the Jews a most hearty welcome home." [173]
"We feel that the Arabs and Jes are cousins in race, suffering similar opperssion at the hands of powers stronger than themselves, and by a happy coincidence have been able to take the first step toward the attainment of their national ideals together. We Arabs, especially the educated among us, look with deepest sympathy on the Zionist movement... We will do our best, in so far as we are concerned, to help them through; we will wish the Jews a most hearty welcome home." [173]
While following up on this information I found the following statement within the Palin Report relating to the very idea of Jews settling in Palestine. It's the product of a formal review of the Jewish, Palestinian situation "after the fact" that addresses the formation of a Jewish state...
"President Wilson brushed away all doubts as to what was intended from his point of view when, in March 1919, he said to the Jewish leaders in America, "I am moreover persuaded that the allied nations, with the fullest concurrence of our own Government and people are agreed that in Palestine shall be laid the foundations of a Jewish Commonwealth." The late President Roosevelt declared that one of the Allies peace conditions should be [p10] that "Palestine must be made a Jewish State." Mr. Winston Churchill has spoken of a "Jewish State" and Mr. Bonar Law has talked in Parliament of "restoring Palestine to the Jews".
The angst, accusations and the indecisions continued on a global scale...
"It is said that the effect of the Balfour Declaration was to leave the Moslems and Christians dumbfounded... It is impossible to minimise the bitterness of the awakening. They considered that they were to be handed over to an oppression which they hated far more than the Turk's and were aghast at the thought of this domination... Prominent people openly talk of betrayal and that England has sold the country and received the price... Towards the Administration [the Zionists] adopted the attitude of "We want the Jewish State and we won't wait", and they did not hesitate to avail themselves of every means open to them in this country and abroad to force the hand of an Administration bound to respect the "Status Quo" and to commit it, and thereby future Administrations, to a policy not contemplated in the Balfour Declaration... What more natural than that [the Moslems and Christians] should fail to realise the immense difficulties the Administration was and is labouring under and come to the conclusion that the openly published demands of the Jews were to be granted and the guarantees in the Declaration were to become but a dead letter?" August 1920
Unfortunately over time greed, hatred, anger, intolerance directed towards the Jewish community throughout the globe prevailed over practicality, acceptance, and decency. Today we have the continued shared angst and contempt that the cult of islam has directed and continues to direct against our Jewish friends and us, the Christians and other faiths of the world, or so it seems.
It is obvious, from what I've read and witnessed that there was a time when someone from the muslim community was close to being tolerant of our Jewish friends. But historically it appears they've digressed, and became blatantly intolerant of others decades ago. They also appear to be content with their intolerance.
There's more interesting information to be found on Wikipedia , in Jewish records and elsewhere regarding the Balfour Declaration, the alleged forgeries and tampering that occurred.
In short, the Ottomans, the Arabs denied the authenticity of the agreement and pushed for removal of their jewish neighbors from Palestine but global powers at the time ensured the Jewish communities in the Middle East stayed in place, in their homeland, Palestine.
IMHO
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