Further “the local Jewish press” is “backward and provincial”. Backward, in what ways? Provincial? A ludicrous charge, at least against this journal, which has consistently given pages of its space to Zionism, which has maintained an unflagging campaign against the German oppression as it did against the Russian tyranny, and which gives week by week wide and comprehensive news about Polish Jews, Rumanian Jews, in fact about Jews wherever they are settled.
Next, we are assured by Mr. Ben Gurion that London “has no Jewish youth movement” an allegation which only demonstrates the one-eyed provincialism of the man who made it. Indeed, it is but a single degree less ludicrous than the final statement that “in general England is a country in which the Jews make practically no impression”. On whom, this wiseacre does not say. But …let him recall the numerous interventions with the British Government on behalf of down-trodden Jews abroad, and reflect on the likelihood that representations to it made in the Zionist interests by local Jewry may be at least as welcome as any from other quarters…
A little less arrogance on the part of Ben Gurion and some fellow-Palestinians, and a little more commonsense, would immensely improve their acceptability to their brethren elsewhere.
(David Ben-Gurion, of course, later became Israel’s first prime minister)
The disorders in Palestine
Although the disturbances in Palestine have grown less serious, stone throwing, incendiarism and looting are still in evidence. Arab terrorism dies hard, a state of tension still exists, and the Arab strike, maintained by intimidation and fed by funds from some mysterious quarter, is still not over. Sir Arthur Wauchope is now taking legal measures against the two members of the Strike Committee who had issued a manifesto calling out the Government’s Arab officials and urging the non-payment of taxes.
We could wish that some disciplinary action had also been taken against the Arab Mayor of Jerusalem, who, in grotesque disregard of his position, has headed the strike movement. At the very least this is a bad advertisement of the success of municipal institutions in Palestine, of which we have heard so much.
Hitler’s May Day parade
A fierce attack on the Jews was a feature of Hitler’s May Day speech to 100,000 workers in Berlin last week. “A short time ago,” he declared. “We made a great offer to the world. But what happens? At the same moment at which we, without regard to the past or present, declare ourselves prepared to offer our hand to all nations and make treaties with them, at that same moment we see a new campaign of hate break out. The lie goes forth again that Germany will tomorrow or the-day after fall upon Austria, I ask myself: Who can these elements be who will have no peace, who must sow distrust, who incite continually, who want no understanding? Who are they ? [Mighty shouts of “The Jews.”]
"I know. [Stormy, prolonged applause!] I know they are not the millions who, if these inciters had their way, would have to take to arms. It is a small international group of interested persons who live by inciting the other nations against each other. We learnt to know these comrades in our own country and we see their traces in all lands.”
David Ben-Gurion[Missing Credit]