British Mandate: A Survey of Palestine: Volume II - Page 932

CHAPTER XXII.

125. As regards telegrams it has been possible to overcome the technical difficulties which at first prevented their transmission in Hebrew characters within Palestine and there are now no telegraph offices in the Jewish or mixed areas in Palestine which do not accept and deliver telegrams in such characters. Telegrams in the Hebrew language in Roman characters may be sent from the United Kingdom to Palestine but technical difficulties do not permit of their transmission in the Hebrew script.

126. One of the conditions attached to the grant of a certificate of naturalisation under Part III of the Palestinian Citizenship Orders, 1925 to 1941, (section 7(1)(b) thereof) is an adequate knowledge of one of the three official languages.

127. Language examinations in Arabic and Hebrew for Government officers are held annually by the Department of Education. The examinations in each language are divided into two classes : lower standard and higher standard. Successful candidates in these examinations are reimbursed their tuition fees up to a maximum amount of £P.20 in the case of the lower standard examination and £P.30 in the case of the higher standard. With a view to encouraging officers to acquire greater proficiency a reward of £P .25 is payable, on the recommendation of the Languages Board, to candidates who pass the lower standard examination with special distinction. Similarly, candidates who pass the higher standard may be paid a reward of £P.50 and a reward of £P.25 is also payable to a candidate who passes the lower standard examinations in both Arabic and Hebrew. Palestinian members of the Police Force who successfully pass an examination in a vernacular other than their own habitual language are granted a monthly allowance. All British officers of the first division of the service, unless exempted from the whole or part of the examination by reason of their age at the time of their appointment, or otherwise in special circumstances by the High Commissioner, are required, as a condition of confirmation in their posts, to pass the lower standard examination in Arabic or Hebrew within three years of the date of their appointment. Expatriate officers of the second division are required within a period of two years to pass the lower standard colloquial test, and may, in certain cases, be called upon to pass all the tests of the lower standard examination. The grant of proficiency pay to British members of the Police Force is conditional on their passing a language examination in either Arabic or Hebrew, and promotion to the senior ranks or confirmation of appointment in an acting senior rank is dependent on success in a special examination in Arabic or Hebrew.

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