This Is Jerusalem Calling: State Radio in Mandate Palestine

Timeline

TIMELINE The PBS and Mandate Palestine 1918 British Army led by General Allenby enters Palestine, begins military administration. 1919 Paris Peace Conference assigns mandate for Palestine to Great Britain. 1920 Nabi Musa / Jerusalem uprisings; High Commissioner Herbert Samuel arrives in June. 1921 Amin al-Husseini appointed Grand Mufti and later head of the British-created Supreme Muslim Council, the official representative of the Muslim community in Palestine. 1922 Vaad Leumi (Jewish executive) recognized as official representative of the Jewish community in Palestine. 1929 “Wailing Wall” uprisings; Shaw Commission and Hope-Simpson Reports on Jewish immigration and land purchases. 1930 Passfield White Paper incorporates Shaw and Hope-Simpson recommendations (later disavowed and never enacted as policy). 1931 Irgun Zvai Leumi (IZL) founded as Zionist national military. 1932 Istiqlal (Independence) Party founded as Palestinian nationalist, panArabist party. 1933 Palestine obtains broadcasting frequency at International Broadcasting Union’s Lucerne Conference. 1936 Palestine Broadcasting Service (PBS) begins broadcasts in March, with BBC staff in top administrative positions; Arab revolt begins in April; general strike April–October. 1937 Arab revolt continues in rural areas; PBS establishes village broadcasting initiatives and broadcasts “Talks to Farmers”; Peel Commission Report; Radio Bari spurs BBC Arabic and extra PBS news broadcasts. 202 “This Is Jerusalem Calling” 1939 Arab revolt ends; MacDonald White Paper limits Jewish immigration to 5,000 over five years and restricts land sales; PBS broadcasts continue and radio set license sales increase. 1939 World War II begins; PBS restructured under tighter government control and censorship. 1941 Ajaj Nuwayhid named controller of PBS Arabic section. 1945 World War II ends; PBS restructured and Edwin Samuel named director ; PBS obtains second transmitter, and illegal Jewish broadcasting resumes. 1946 Anglo-American Commission of Inquiry recommends one state, neither Jewish nor Arab, with 100,000 Jews admitted from Europe; Britain announces intent to end the mandate. 1947 United Nations Special Committee on Palestine submits Partition Plan recommending a two-state solution with Jerusalem under international governance; General Assembly approves. Jewish Executive accepts the plan; Arab Palestinians do not. 1948 PBS staff assigned to various Jerusalem security zones, with the Hebrew and Music sections broadcasting from Rehavia. Britain ends the mandate for Palestine on May 15; civil war erupts; PBS splits as Israel takes the Broadcasting House in Jerusalem and Jordan takes the Ramallah transmitter. ...