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On April 1, 1914, a commentator in the Sephardi newspaper ha-Herut declared:
... We have to show to all the Nashashibis, Husaynis and Khalidis that we do not wish to exploit the people of the country [Am ha-Aretz, in Hebrew]...We wish to work and live side by side with our neighbors for the promotion of the economic condition of our empty country, and for the development of the culture and education in the country... 1
[Image omitted, see PDF]This short paragraph demonstrates - in part - the unique approach of ha-Herut towards the Arab population in pre World War I Palestine. In his article, the writer, known by the pseudonym CBR2 , represents the attitude of the newspaper and its reading population, the Sephardi community in Jerusalem. The ideas that appear in this paragraph - the hope to live in coexistence with the Arabs and develop Palestine together, the attempt to convince the Muslim elite families of the good intentions of the Jews living in Palestine - are molded by the perception of the Sephardi Jews in Jerusalem, the readers of ha-Herut, of the national question in Palestine.
This article focuses on a Zionist unique approach towards the Arab population in pre World War I Palestine and towards the future life of Jews and Arabs in the country. It examines the Sephardi Zionist newspaper ha-Herut between 1912-1914 and concentrates on three issues touching on the Arab-Jewish relation: firstly, efforts to convince the Arabs, and especially the Muslims, of the good intentions of the Jews in Palestine; secondly, the debate over Jewish loyalty to the Ottoman Empire; and thirdly, the desire to live in harmonious coexistence with the Arabs. The article also discusses the distinction made by ha-Herut between Muslim and Christian Arabs. This distinction is unique and uncommon, and the reasons for it will be discussed below.
The Sephardi community in Jerusalem in Pre World War I Palestine
Estimates of the population in late Ottoman Palestine vary. According to Ottoman data, there were around 712,000 inhabitants in Palestine before World War I.3 Muslim Arabs consisted of the largest group and reached 83% of the entire population in 1914.4 The Jewish population numbered around 80,000-90,000, or about 14% of the total population.5
By the end...