Hardly four days old as an operating unit, the Palestine Broadcasting Company today ran afoul of nationalist sensibilities arising from use by Jews of the expression “Eretz Israel” when referring to Palestine in broadcasts.
Use of the phrase, Hebrew for “The Land of Israel,” was reported to have caused the resignation of the manager of the Arab section of the broadcasting station, which is Government-controlled.
Following the reported resignation, “Eretz Israel,” has been ruled off the air, announcers and speakers in the Hebrew section being forced to refer to Palestine by the phrase’s initials “Aleph HUD” (A.I.). This action has met with a storm of protest in the Hebrew press. The Arabs have threatened to make a national issue of it if the words “Eretz Israel” return to the air. (The initials “Aleph HUD” likewise appear on Palestine stamps, together with the English and Arabic names.)
Broadcasting over the Government station, which officially started today, is conducted in three languages, Hebrew, Arabic and English.
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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.
