The opinion that it is much more important for the Zionist movement to utilize the services of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency than to spend national capital on a partisan news service from Palestine is voiced here by Die Stimme, official organ of the Zionist Federation of Austria.
“The services of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency should be favored by the Zionist movement, if only because they are not of an official nature,” the paper says, criticizing the Executive of the Jewish Agency for meddling with news and canvassing for subscribers.
ANOTHER INTERNAL WAR
“This additional war which certain members of the Zionist Executive have lodged against the Jewish Telegraphic Agency is another fight added to the many internal Zionist wars,” the official Zionist organ says. “Even before the differences between the Jewish Telegraphic Agency and the Laborite members of the Executive came to the foreground, we pointed out that the news service established by the Jerusalem Executive always reports very extensively any unpleasantness and differences, but makes exceptions to the ruling Laborite party.
“We don’t intend to participate in the fight between the J.T.A. and the Laborites of the Executive—a fight which is symptomatic of the present condition within the Zionist organization, but we wish to treat this matter without taking sides. The J.T.A. complains that the news service from Palestine has been established by the leaders of the Histadruth for the purpose of controlling all the news emerging from Palestine and to fortify their own position through a propaganda news agency.
UPHOLDS J.T.A. POINT
“The J.T.A. points out the actual conditions within the Zionist Executive when it declares that the Executive is entirely in the hands of the Histadruth. Dr. Ruppin, the non-Laborite member of the Executive, is not interested in political problems, and is devoted to his colonization department only. Of the non-Zionist members of the Executive, Dr. Berkson has resigned, Dr. Hexter is absent and Dr. Senator is affiliated with the Histadruth.
“We think it highly necessary that the next meeting of the Actions Committee be utilized to give us detailed information with regard to the activities of the news service established in Jerusalem, where it is operating from the building of the Executive. We also urge that the reporting of this newly established Palcor service should be objective and not misused for comouflaged propaganda for a certain party. It is remarkable that in the dissemination of the news, no mention is made as to who is the owner of this new service.
CHARGES DISCRIMINATION
“In this connection,” the Stimme continues, “it is worth mentioning that our attention has been drawn to the fact that reports of various departments of the Jerusalem Exexecutive which are marked ‘not for publication’ appear nevertheless in their essential parts in the news service. Either these reports are confidential, in which case the newly established service is not authorized to disseminate them, or, if they are disseminated, they should not be marked ‘confidential.’ In the latter case they must be simultaneously placed at the disposal of all Jewish news agencies, and not monopolized.
“We hope that at the next meeting of the Actions Committee things will be brought in order, especially since several newspapers are taking up this matter and some of them justly remark that national capital is for the whole nation, and not for one party,” the paper demands.
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.
