Palestine: A Modern History (ص 12)

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عنوان

Palestine: A Modern History (ص 12)

المحتوى

26 Crystallisation 1908-1914
Sa‘id al-Husseini, deputy of Jerusalem, well-versed in Zionist ideas
and activities owing to his proficiency in Hebrew, was another active
anti-Zionist..Albert Antebi.reported that, since accounts of speeches by
Ruhi Khalidi and Shukri al-Assali had spread among the peasants, anti-
Jewish feeling had widened.’® A telegram signed by one hundred and
fifty Arabs was dispatched from Jaffa to the President of the Chamber,
to the Grand Vazir’and to various newspapers in protest against the
continual purchase of land by Jews and urged.Parliament to take steps
against Jewish immigration-and land purchase.'° ;
On 24 May, 1911, ha-Herut carried the text of a leaflet which
proclaimed the emergence of organised Palestinian Arab opposition to
Zionism..,The leaflet. was signed, aj-Hizb al-Watani al-‘Uthmani (The
Ottoman, National, Party)., The Party waddressed itself to the Arabs of
Palestine in the-following terins: a.
Zionism is the danger which encompasses our homeland; [Zionism]
is the awful wave which beats [our] ,shores; it is the source of, the
deceitful. acts which we experience like a downpour and which are
to be feared more-than going alone at the dead of night. Not only
this; it is also an omen of our future exile from,our homeland and of
(our) departure from our homes and property.
, Spleiman al-Taji, al-Farouqi, a founder of the Ottoman National
Party, sought tq mobilise public opinion in the neighbouring, Arab
districts of the Gttoman Empire against what he and his associates
regarded as Zionist invasion. On 19 Augyst 1911, this able writer and
poet wrote an important long editorial in al-Mufid, a.\eading Beirut
newspaper run by ‘Abdul Ghani al-‘Arisi, a prominent political figure.
Al-Farougi stated that Palestine had virtually fallen within the sphere of
Zionist, influence, and that Zionism :in Palestine constituted a
government, within ,a-government with its own, laws and courts, its own
flag, its own school, system etc, Jewish immigrants, he contended, were
equipped with edication and money, and the, Palestinians were
threatened with. poverty and eviction. These conditions prodded a
group of young-men to establish; . ‘4
"A National, (Patriotic) party to promote everything beneficient to
the nation, and to direct all efforts towards.lawful opposition to the
Zionist Movement. and fighting it with the weapon of justice, in
addition calling the attention. of the Ummah (Nation) to the grave
consequences and reminding the government of its duties: First,
Crystallisation 1908-1914 27
stoppage of immigration by applying the Red Passport.” Second,
prohibition of sales of land. Third, carrying out a census among the
Jews and giving, the Ottomans among them clear identity cards,
Fourth, imposition of governmental control and official curriculum
over their schools\Fifth, prohibition of their special meetings unless
they obtain special permission from the authorities in accordance
with the laws governing’such meetings. Sixth, carrying out land
surveys in the colonies, and imposing the various taxes, tithes and
Wercos, and reassesting the lost rights of the Treasury:
The growth of Arab opposition to Zionism was reported by the
Palestine correspondent of Ha‘olam, the central Zionist organ, in the
following terms:
The greater force in Palestine is the Arabs. ..we forgot altogether
that there are Arabs in Palestine, and diseovered them only in recent
years, . .we paid no attentiomito them; we never even tried to find
friends among them. The greatest: enemies of Jewish efforts are the
Christian intellectuals among the Arabs.?!
hie 4
The last sentence was an acknowledgement of the efforts of Najib
Nassar, editor of al-Karmal, whose unyielding perseverance in
combating Zionism was effective tin -stirring public opinion inside
and outside Palestine against Zionist immigration and settlement. On
7 June +1911, Nassar published in a/-Karmal an open letter addressed. to
all newspaper editors who shared, his views, suggesting that they unite in
a common, front against the, Zionists. Within a few days his suggestion
found support from Taha al-Mudawwar:of Beirut’s al-Ra‘i dl-‘Am who
proposed a common: stand among the newspapers against Zidnist
settlement, in, an endeavour to bring about appropriate government
action to prevent it. On teviewing the, Arabic newspapers of the second
half of 1911, the réader would readily notice the expanded circle of
anti-Zionist articlés. 1 ‘
During the same jyear Najib Nassar also~published a bogk entitled,
al-Sahyuniyya:Tarikhuha, Gharaduha, Akammiyyatuha. (Zionism: Its
History, _ Aims, “and Importance), where he told«his réaders that the
Zionist Movement rested: on a, racial bage; ahd its .aims:‘were both
national and political. Herlaid stress on its independent institutions, its
para-military gymnastic societies, its flag and its emblem. After stating
that Zionism aimed at gaining ‘mastery over our country and the
sources of our livelihood’, he pointed out that ‘unwavering leadership

تاريخ

1978

المنشئ

Abdul-Wahhab Kayyali

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