British Mandate: A Survey of Palestine: Volume II - Page 875

CHAPTER XXl.
before publication; of the local press was retained in the interests of local security and the Press Censorship was constituted as a separate office of the Secretariat.

7. At this date the control of the press in Palestine is founded, in law, on the Press Ordinance and on the Defence (Emergency) Regulations, 1945. Under the Press Ordinance there is no censorship in the accepted meaning of the term. Newspapers publish what they like at the risk of committing an offence and being liable to punishment according to the terms of the OrJinance with which editors are familiar. The control involving censorship of publications, including newspapers, derives its authority from Part VIII of the Defence (Emergency) Regulations, 1945. and in particular from Regulation 97 under which the Censor may (and, at present, does) require the press to submit matter before publication. In the application of such censorship the criterion adopted is whether the publication of any matter submitted is likely to lead to the commission of acts of violence. The existence of such press censorship does not, however, relieve editors of their responsibilities under the Press Ordinance. Outgoing and incoming press telegrams and mail articles have ceased to be subjected to censorship--since the close of hostilities in Europe and the Far

East.

8. The following table shows the number of newspapers published in Palestine daily, weekly and at longer periods in English, Hebrew, Arabic and other languages :-

~---~~ -- - ----
Forh1iglttly,
Language Daily Weekly monthly or
quarterly
English 2 6 14
Arabic 3 10 5
Hebrew 9 18 4o
Other languages
(Polish, Greek,
Armenian, German) 3 3
----
TOT ALB 17 37 69
875