|
 |
Document 5 / 114 |
 |
.jpg) |
 View Document
One of the various classical stratagems used by the Zionist leadership to prepare for the takeover of Palestine was to undermine the evolution of Palestinian nationalism by helping create conflicts among the Palestinians, buy the allegiance of certain Arab newspapers such as ‘Lisan Al-Arab’, owned by Ibrahim Al-Najjar, or simply by creating newspapers that support the Zionist plans, and fund Palestinian “nationalist” associations created by the Zionists themselves.
“The moving force was the Zionist Executive’s arabist, Chaim Margaliot Kalvarisky, a veteran land purchaser for the Jewish Colonization Association who was well connected among the Arabs.”(1) He reported to “Colonel Frederick Kisch, a retired British intelligence officer and head of the Zionist Executive’s political department in Palestine. The president of the Zionist movement (and future first president of Israel) Dr. Chaim Weizmann, was also involved (in the project)”(2) .
“Kalvarisky organized the collaborators in nationwide political frameworks” (3) , such as the creation of the “Muslim National Association” among others. But the Palestinians, at least the vast majority among them, were not fooled and immediately recognized the collaborators.
“In addition to buying newspapers and their editors secretly, the Zionists continued to seek out writers to publish articles praising Zionism and Jewish-Arab brotherhood under their own by-lines or pseudonyms. One of those enlisted in this campaign was Sheikh As’ad Shqayr (Al-Shuqayri) of Acco. Sheikh As’ad Shqayr (father of PLO leader Ahmad Al-Shuqayri) had been a senior cleric in the Turkish (Ottoman) army, had taken part in various oppositionist initiatives, and did not conceal his ties with the Zionists.” (4) According to Kalvarisky, he wrote to him in 1925 “…that he was prepared to write “…longer articles and in that way you will gain both materially and ideologically”. Kalvarisky adds that “these commissioned articles appeared in the Arabic press only as long as there was funding for them” (5).
Kalvarisky also worked at creating good will among the Palestinians for the Zionist project by contributing to local charities. The following note sent to Sheikh As’ad Shqayr on 20 April 1921 illustrates how Kalvarisky operated:
“The most honourable Reverend Sheikh As’ad Shqayr, may God grant him long life;
Respectful greetings;
We would like to bring to your attention that Baron James Rothschild has requested us upon his return from Acco that we hand deliver to you the amount of one hundred and fifty Egypt Liras (i.e. Egyptian Pounds) for distribution to the poor of the three communities, namely Muslims, Christians and Israelis (i.e. Jews). With these we would appreciate it if your eminence could delegate somebody with written instructions so that we hand him the above mentioned amount for distribution as indicated. Please accept our respectful regards and considerations.
Haifa 20 Nisan (April) 1921.
Signed: Jules Rosenheck (6)
Counter signed: (Chaim) Kalvarisky (7)
_____________
1 Hillel Cohen; “Army of Shadows: Palestinian Collaboration with Zionism, 1917-1948 – Translated from the Hebrew (Tseva ha-tselalim) by Haim Watzman – University of California Press, Berkeley (2008) p.16
2 Ibid p. 17
3 Ibid p. 18
4 Ibid p. 29
5 Ibid p. 29
6 Administrator of the Jewish Colonization Association’s (JCA) Lower Galilee’s settlements (See Derek Jonathan Penslar - Zionism and technocracy: the engineering of Jewish settlement in Palestine, Indiana University Press (1991).
7 Manager of the Sejera Training Farm for (Jewish) Agricultural Workers (ibid). |
|
Document 5 / 114 |
|
|
