Palmerston opposed Arab independence only because it would dismember Turkey.

Evidence

This apprehension was based on his gradual realization that British interests in Europe, which he believed to be best protected by maintaining the existing balance of power, were equally threatened by the Pasha’s latest moves as were Britain’s interests in Asia which, in turn, he believed to be best protected by strengthening Turkey to function as a buffer between Russia and India. For as Palmerston himself said he did not object, in principle, to Mehmed Ali’s gaining independence or to his founding “an Arab kingdom including all the countries of which Arabic is the language. There might be no harm in such a thing in itself; but as it would necessarily imply the dismemberment of Turkey, we could not agree to it.” — Khaled Fahmy, All the Pasha_s Men_ Mehmed Ali, his…, 1574

Categorization

• XREF: Bears directly on this book’s core question of why Britain backed the Ottomans against Mehmed Ali.