Celebrating 80 years ...

JWB 1993 Palestine editorial

This week in 1933, the topic of the Jewish Western Bulletin editorial was Palestine. While acknowledging that people "suffer there from the same business and economic ailments that beset the rest of the world," the editorial points to "contracting factors that rob the malady of much of its influence," focusing on two reasons. "Firstly, the large amount of public enterprises recently instituted, such as the Haifa-Mosul oil pipe line, the Dead Sea potash works, the Jordan hydro-electric works and other big projects; and secondly, that people fearing to invest in Europe and America owing to the general insecurity are turning to Palestine, where, their sentimental and business traits happily combined, they are able to embark on safe private investments at a fairly good interest return."

According to the editorial, people who donated to "Keren Heyesod and the Keren Keyemeth have hitherto given small amounts, reserving their substance for post-obit bequests. But they are beginning to think of private investments in Palestine as sound business propositions."

It is interesting to note that Keren Kayemet L’Yisrael, or the Jewish National Fund, is in the midst of its Tu b'Shevat fundraising campaign.

^TOP