Palestine: A Modern History (ص 17)

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Palestine: A Modern History (ص 17)

المحتوى

36 Crystallisation 1908-1914
organisers:
. 1
Mobilize public opinion so that you cari achieve. these objectives.
You should not blanie the Zionists as much as you should blame the |
leaders of your country and government officials who sell them
lands and-act as their brokers. Prevent those selling and you will halt
the Zionist Movement. ‘ '
‘ , "
The Summons revealed that as the Palestinians lost hope “of any
Government action against Zionist encroachment they moved towards
self-organisation and self-reliance.
During the first seven months of 1914, the Palestinian Arab press +
played a key role in mobilising public opinion and preparing the ground '
for organisational and concerted action against the Zionists. The press
assiduously denounced, ‘Those rich and influential people who were
blinded by self interest; they do not see the encircling Zionist danger,
and preferred to have a golden present at the expense: of a dark future
for their sons’2® The same article warned that, “he who controls the
land and the economy is the real master, and the political soverieign is
merely his vassal”’.
On 2 April 1914, Falastin published an article on ‘The Zionist Danger
and the Arab Press’ where it expressed gratification on “witnessing a
general anti*Zionist campaign -in Cairo, Beirut and ‘Damascus. Falastin
paid tribute to the pioneerirtg role of atKarmal ‘in the patriotic
struggle’ against Zionism, which was taken up soon afterwards by
Falastin itself as well as al-Muqtabas, al-Ra‘t al-‘Am; Fatat al-‘Arab and
al-Islah successively. The article alleged that the few papers that failed
to participate in the anti-Zionist campaign were receiving material
benefits from the Zionist Movement. Thé writer of the article was
apparently impressed by the participation of the prestigious al-Hilal
magazine of Cairo in the fight against Zionism and referred to the long,
article published by it on the autonomous and totally insulated life led
by the Jewish colonists in their settlements. The writer also acknow-
ledged the role of al-Iqdam which was the Keenest-of all in exposing the’
Zionist danger and stirring public opinion on the issue:
The.Electoral Platform of 1914
Al-Iqdam was a weekly paper published in Egypt in’ 1914; the editor
was Muhammad al-Shanti, a Palestinian. For all intents and purpose,
al-Iqdam was a paper devoted to Palestinian affairs and was endowed
with a certdin ‘imniunity on Palestinian issues, since Egypt was not
Crystallisation 1908-1914 37
under Ottoman control. From the outset al-Jqgdam sought to make’ the
Zionist danger the heart of the matter in Palestinian public and political
life. It invited debate and attention through a series of interviews with
the notables and political personalities. It was instrumental in bringing
to the fore the Zionist danger as the main issuerin the’ Parliamentary
elections of 1914. On the 22 March 1914, al-Jqdam published three
interviews with Sa‘id Husseini, Ragheb Nashashibi and Salim Husseini.
Sa‘id Husseini pledged, if elected, to continue the fight against
Zionism in Parliament as he had done in the past. He advocated the
improvement of the fellah’s condition and providing him with owner-
ship titles to the land he looks after in order that he may cling to it
and never give it up. He criticised the government for not fighting
Zionism, which was a political as well as an economic peril, and wanfed
that negligence Would lead to grave consequences.
Ragheb Nashashibi, another incumbent Parliamentary’ candidate
called fot special legislation aimed at the prevention of Zionist acquisi-
tion of land in Palestine. He resented the fact that many Zionists were
non-Ottoman subjects who exploited the Capitulations, did not speak
Arabic, and ‘looked dt-bur'sons and brethren with contempt’. He pledged
fight Zionism and Zionists without injuring the feeling of Ottoman
ews,
Salim: Husseini expressed admiration for the Zionists and called for
ine Cmulation. He also advocated special legislation to prohibit all
, A week latet, al-Igdam published an interview with Khalil Sakakini
one of the founders of the‘Constitutional School in Jerusalem where
the spirit of antagonism to Zionist colonialism was being propagated’
In the course: of thé brief interview Sakakini submitted a profound
statement on the nature of the Zionist challenge:
The Zionists want td own Palestine, that is, the heart of the Arab
countries and the niiddle link between the Arab peninsula and
Africa. Thus, it appears as if they want to break the chain and
divide the Arab Nation (al-Ummali al-Arabiyyah) into two sections
to prevent its unification and soliddtity. The people should be
conscious that it possesses a territory and a tongue, and if you want
to kill a nation cut her tongue and occupy her territory and this is
what the Zionists intend to do with the Arab Nation.
.
1
mother political personality, Faydi ‘Alami warned that if matters
mtinued to take the samé course, ‘The Zionists would own the

هو جزء من

Palestine: A Modern History

تاريخ

1978

المنشئ

Abdul-Wahhab Kayyali

مجموعات العناصر

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