Palestine: A Modern History (ص 13)

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Palestine: A Modern History (ص 13)

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28 Crystallisation 1908-1914 ‘
and bold, ambitious plans were required... We the Arabs need to rely
upon ourselves and to stop expecting everything from the.Government’.
The Palestinians were discovering that the Government was not very
keen on protecting them from the-Zionist danger. Calls for organisation
found receptive ears. After the second debate ori:Zionism in Parliament,
Nassar drew the attention of the readers of al;Karmal to the lax manner
in which entry restrictions and regulations were enforced by the
Ottoman authorities in Haifa. He succeeded in setting’ up a citizen’s
watch committee, which was successful in gaining «permission from the
Mutasarrif of Acre to supervise the disembarkation of Jews from all
sHips. docking at Haifa in order to see-that the entry restrictions were
- fully implemented. Nassar’s efforts left an imprint on a number of Arab
journalists, like ‘Isa ul-‘Isa of Falastin and ‘Izzat Darwaza, the writer-
politician who played a role in the Arab national movement in Palestine
as we shall see later on.
Opposition to Zionism found some expression in literary works like
al-Sahir wa al-Yahudi (The Wizard and the Jew) by Is‘af Nashashibi,
March 1909, and Fatat Sahyun (The Young Girl of Zion) by Ma‘ruf al-
Arna‘ut, November 1911.
By the beginning ‘of 1912 the Zionists were already speaking of ‘the
spirit of enmity which has begunsto gain a foothold among the masses
in the Mutasarriflik of.Jerusalem’.?? /
The anti-Zionist campaign in the Arabic press continued unabated.
Al-Munadi, a newspaper which began to appear+in. Jerusalém ‘in the
spring of 4912, was candidly anti-Zionist -from its first issue. An article
by Muhammad Salah al-Samadi al‘Husseini of Jerusalem in al-Ra‘i al-
‘Am declared that the dangers of Zionism and Jewish immigratiorr were
ten-fold. Zionist-inspired sJéwish ‘immigration would lead to: Jewish
settlement in places’ of the greatest ‘vtommercial and strategic
importance; the sale of. the local population’s houses and land; the: loss
of the most valuable larid; the return of the-Jew’s money to their own
pockets through. places of entertainment and the like which they would
open for the Arabs; the subjugation of the local population to: the Jews;
the’ isurpation of all éducational affairs by Zionist schools the theft of
industry ahd trdde by Zionist banks and institutions; the defeat ofthe
most powerful Arab leaders; and finally, thexeconomic domination of
Palestine through which political power would be generated.” Echoing
the tone of this article al-Mugqtabas alleged.in its issue of 25 Decetnber
1912, that ‘Zionism sought to destroy the. totality of our economics
and politics’. '
Falastin, which was on its way to becomingithe foremost anti-
Crystallisation 1908-1914 29
Zionist paper, informed its'feaders, in its issue of 28 August 1912, that
active immigrants ows! thirty ‘colonies’ or villages, that immigration is
proceeding?at a terrific pace and that'Hébrew will become’the’ official
language of the couhtry somneday. The Zionists’ have advanced schools
and numerous important newspapers and have powerful societies
Backing them. The article concluded by exhorting the Arabs of
Palestine to’ wake Up to ptevent a catastrophe before it is too ldte.
Three days latér’the Same paper called for the unity of all Palestinidns
to combat the Ziorfist danger.
Among the Ottoman provinces Palestine alone was free*of ‘the
prevailing strife and tension between Muslim and Christian Arab
commulities due to the Balkan War. The relations between the two
. communities in Palestine were remarkably good owing to solidarity’
against the comrhon Zionist danger.” ‘
On 17 November 1912, Falastin«publishe’ an article accusing the
Mutassdrrif of complicity in selling lands to the Jews in the face of
‘Mrab -opposition and widespread protest. By the end of 1912
Falastin was so Outspoken against Zionism that ha-Herut’s correspon-
tent in Jaffa called for its boycott.
a The pace was set for 1913 by al-Karmal in an editorial of 3 January.
Phat editorial dealt with the general Political situation as well as giving
ty evaluation of the outcome-of the paper’s four-year campaign again’st
Zionisth. It referred to the efforts of some Arab deputiés like Shukri
a“ Assaly and Ruhi Kfalidi in’ partidulat to tombat Zionisth in debates
i thé Ottoman ‘Parliament. Then it proceeded to attack othér leddérs
Who, while ‘pretending: to safeguard the natiorlal interests, were in fact
ihdulging in brokerage and sales of land to the ?Zionists. The’ article
‘ included by stating that ‘a good fhuinber of enlightened people,
féurnalists ahd’ (local) government officials, recognised the menacing
Zionist danger and were fighting this danger With us’.
. Throughout the summer of 1913 Syria witnessed a gencral campaign
of protests against’ tHé sale of ‘state‘lands in Bei$dn to the Jéws. In Juné
Falastin published two telegram3from the: leaders of the villages and
tribes of Beisan’ addressed to the Sultan and the Vali of Beirut. In'these’
telegrams’ the inhabitants explained that the lands in question were
usurped from them and registered in‘the name of the previous Sultan
and that the state was now contemplating selling it to foreigners. The
telegram reminded the Sultan that ‘it Was the duty of the ruling authori-
ties to safeguard the ‘interests of their subjects whom'they taxed ‘and
conscripted: “We prefer td dic-defending our nation and our possessions
rather than emigrate to’ unknown destinations ‘and perish frony
[Se ET er
SY NOS peg et aa
ad

تاريخ

1978

المنشئ

Abdul-Wahhab Kayyali

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