Arab guests at a new Jewish settlement were advised by an Arab District Officer not to content themselves with merely exchanging calls with their Jewish neighbors, but to study their agricultural methods.
The occasion was the establishment of “Doroth,” a new settlement in the South of Palestine. Sheikhs and Mukhtars from neighboring villages, and settlers from other cooperative settlements joined in a festive lunch to mark the occasion, the District Officer, Aref effendy el Aref, taking the chair.
Among speakers who congratulated the new settlement was the Sheikh of the neighboring Atanna tribe, who observed that the expansion of Jewish settlement in the region would bring hope for greater progress for the Arabs. Addressing the gathering, the chairman said: “Do not be content with lunching with your Jewish friends, if you desire progress ask your Jewish friends how they drill wells, and learn from them.”
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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.