Friday, March 11, 2016

Arab intransigence, 1923

I just saw three consecutive articles from JTA in October 1923 that were illuminating.

Says Jews Plan to Set Up an Independent State in Irak

October 4, 1923
JERUSALEM (Oct. 3)

That the Jews are obtaining the best land, buildings and houses in Mesopotamia and that the Zionist movement is making great headway there is the contention of a writer in the Arab organ “El Carmel”.

The writer warns that the Jews in Mesopotamia may intend to set up a state of their own there and urges the Arabs to build up their country with their own resources exclusively.

Urges Prayer As Means to Fight Zionism

October 4, 1923
JERUSALEM (Oct. 4)

The use of prayer to combat the Zionistic movement is being urged by the Arab organ “Miraat el Shark”. The Moslems are urged to repeat daily in their prayers specified forms of anti-Zionistic statements. The following sentences should be said seven times daily:

“We do not recognize the Balfour Declaration” “We want full liberty” “We want full freedom without any mandates” “We hate the British” “We hate the Palestine government” “Down with Zionism”.

“We do not want Zionism”, the paper urges should be given an additional recitation or a total of eight times.

The article concludes as follows: “Say, dear readers, this prayer ten times a day and after this if you had sold your lands to Zionists, if you have acted as Zionist agents or received Zionist pay, if you have made the national question a personal one only, if you have been a Zionist or government spy, if you belong to those who let their good houses to Jews and themselves live in bad houses, say this prayer and we are sure that you will be freed of the taint of Zionism and treachery and will become a good and devoted nationalist.”

Protest Jews’ Entrance to Holy Places

October 4, 1923

JERUSALEM (Oct. 4)

Protest against allowing Jews to visit the Holy Places is voiced by the Bethlehem Arab paper “Sut el Shaab” in a recent issue.

The paper declares that by the terms of the treaty between Moslem rulers and the great powers. Jews were barred from the Holy places. Yet it declares notwithstanding this agreement, the government allows the Jews to enter and even gives them a military escort.

Conspiracy theories, antisemitism, Muslim fundamentalism. It is not exactly new, nor the result of "settlements" or "ethnic cleansing."

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