Lawrence had hoped that an agreement between them would further the cause of both Arab and Jewish independence in the Middle East.
Based on the principles outlined in the British Balfour Declaration of 1917 (which the Palestinian Arabs rejected) both Faisal and Weizmann signed the Paris Peace Agreement on January 3, 1919.
With mutual respect, both sides acknowledged the “rights of independence” for both Jews and Arabs in the region. Subject to Britain fulfilling its commitment to the Arabs,’ King Feisal agreed to full Jewish immigration and independence in Palestine – while guaranteeing the protection and rights of the local Palestinian Arabs.
To the dismay of the Jews, the British withdrew its promises in the Balfour Declaration. When the British did not honor its wartime commitment to the Arabs, and divided the Ottoman Middle East between themselves and the French, King Fiesal is said to have torn the Paris Peace Agreement to shreds.
After the war Winston Churchill, an ardent critic of the injustice of the broken promise made to the Arabs, was made the Colonial Secretary and commissioned by the British government to inquire into the divided Arabs lands. He worked with Lawrence to help correct the situation. They agreed to create a new land -Arab controlled Iraq- in which King Fiesal would be the Head of State. Further south they created Jordan. The rest of the land conquered by the British was to remain in Britain’s hands. The French mandate over Lebanon and Syria remained French. For the Jews, the broken promise of the Balfour Declaration was never addressed.
Lawrence became known as “Lawrence of Arabia” with the showing of a lantern slide show on his exploits made by Lowell Thomas. Over 4 million people in NY and London saw the show and turned him into a celebrity. Lawrence is also known for his writings. In his lifetime he published many articles, wrote over 6,000 letters and is the author of a number of books including his most famous “Seven Pillars” which is a detailed account of his adventures during the war. He served in the Royal Air Force and the tank corps after the war, both under assumed names.
He died at the age of 46 as result of a crash between his motorcycle and a bicycle only month after his discharge from the Royal Air Force. He is buried in Dorset, England.
In 1962 a movie bearing his name won seven Academy Awards including Picture of the Year.