"There will never be any peace in Palestine, nor security, nor growth, nor creativeness, until the symbol of Palestine takes the place of the symbol of the village pump," declares an editorial in the Palestine Bulletin of October 1. appearing for the first time in its new, enlarged form. The Palestine Bulletin, which is the only English daily in Palestine, has been considerably extended and improved, beginning with its issue of October 1. E. D. Goitein, well-known London newspaper man, has arrived in Palestine tine to edit the paper in collaboration with S. Schwartz.
The expansion of the newspaper was found necessary in view of the emergency situation in the country, the Palestine Bulletin being the only source of information for the large number of correspondents, sent to the country by newspapers from practically every part of the world, for the British officials, consuls and other representatives. During the next two months, while the Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry will conduct its investigation, and many trials in connection with the excesses will take place in the country, the responsible task devolves upon the "Bulletin" to give a complete and objective picture of all developments.
"There is a general belief in this country that it is the duty of a newspaper to throw stones," the editorial states. "Not alone is it its duty but it is the sole reason for its existence. Whether it be to throw stones at the Government or at the Jews; at the Arabs or at the Christians, will depend on the particular prejudices of the Editorial Board. In our opinion there is only one sound reason for the existence of a daily newspaper and that is the dissemination of news. A policy by which on particular group or body (Continued on Page 4)
of people in the country is continually attacked appears to us to be a futile policy and one which shows the small-mindedness of those responsible for such a policy.
"The Palestine Bulletin will, first and foremost, give news.
"The Palestine Bulletin will not reflect the mere prejudices of any member of its Editorial Board.
"There appears to be another monstrous fallacy current among those who take it upon themselves to form our public opinion for us.
"The fallacy consists in mistaking a part for the whole. There are some who see nothing but Arabs in the country-and if they but count noses they are right. But there is something larger than Moslem, Christian or Jew, and that is Palestine. We are still a long way from the conception of Palestine, though it is Palestine which is moulding us-all of us-into the shape we are. There will never be any peace in the country, nor security, nor growth, nor creativeness, until the symbol of Palestine takes the place of the symbol of the Village Pump.
"The Palestine Bulletin will be the newspaper of Palestine.
"The Palestine Bulletin will be the mouthpiece of all Palestinians.
"At present, readers of the Palestine Bulletin have no means of discovering what the Arab press and the Hebrew press are saying. In future we will publish the most significant sections of the editorials in the Arab and Hebrew newspapers.
"A murder in your next door neighbor’s house excites you far more than an earthquake in Japan, and if your child is seriously ill, you are more interested in his recovery than in the thousands who are dying of the plague in India. We suppose, therefore, that while you are in Palestine your interest in the affairs of Palestine will be keener than those of any other country. We shall therefore give you a good Palestinian news service. At the same time. we cannot believe that world affairs can have no interest at all. The Palestine Bulletin will, therefore, make the very fullest use of its Reuter Service, its P. T. A. Service, its B. T. I. O. Service and its British Official Wireless Service.
"When the Palestine Bulletin feels it necessary to comment on matters of public importance, it will do so clearly, honestly, fearlessly. It will not forget that Palestine is a powder magazine where to walk about even with safety matches will not necessarily prevent an explosion. But not to tell the truth because the truth might hurt is a policy to which the Palestine Bulletin will never stoop.
"’With or without offence to friends or foes.
‘I sketch your world exactly as it goes.’
"The Palestine Bulletin has one end in view: to supply Palestine with a first rate daily in English."
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
