Some surprise is occasioned here today by the publication in the “Falastin,” Arab nationalist publication, of an alleged interview with the High Priest of the Samaritans wherein the latter is quoted as stating he does not recognize the Balfour Declaration and does not agree that Palestine be rehabilitated as the Jewish national homeland under a Jewish government.
The Samaritans are a small Jewish religious sect, dating their existence as a separate community from 722 before the common era, who live strictly according to the Torah and who have permitted no modern adaptations to enter the habit and customs of their existence.
The viewpoint of this religious sect is not considered of any vital importance, because of the smallness of the group, but it is causing some astonishment in view of the fact that many Jewish bodies have helped the Samaritans both materially and spiritually since the issuance of the Balfour Declaration.
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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.