Diverse attitudes are taken by the two Hebrew dailies, “Doar Hayom” and “Ha’Aretz,” regarding the appeals of the Arabs for a commutation of the death sentences imposed on Arabs as a result of the riots.
The “Doar Hayom” says: “The Arab Executive and its henchmen think, not of the condemned, but of themselves and their prestige. Owing to their instigation the simple fellaheen rose to murder and pillage, the instigators promising that there would be no punishment. If those who are convicted are hanged the position of the leaders will collapse. The Jews of Palestine are interested in the full execution of these just sentences because only in this way have we a guarantee of security in the future. This alone will prove that our blood cannot be shed with impunity.”
The “Ha’Aretz” writes that it is “preferable that Jewish public and the Hebrew press refrain from a definite attitude on this question and leave to the government full responsibility, as in principle we oppose the death sentence. Certainly riot murders should not be punished less than ordinary murders. Certainly there should be no surrender to the threats of agitators and political pressure but we should not express an opinion, when we are not consulted. The whole matter should be the government’s responsibility. There are laws in Palestine and there are questions of public security. The government ought to take everything into consideration and decide for itself.”
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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.
