ITALY MAKES ENEMIES

Waikato Times, Volume 127, Issue 21218, 14 September 1940, Page 6

ITALY MAKES ENEMIES

By frequently raiding Tel-Aviv in Palestine and killing Jews and Arabs, the Italians are laying up for themselves a store of vengeance. Even before the raiding began the outbreak of war had had an extraordinary effect in Palestine. The years of bickering and fighting between Arabs and Jews suddenly gave place to peace and a desire to resist the common enemy. Now that both have suffered casualties there is a plainly apparent bond of sympathy between two peoples who were bitter enemies. Adversity is a great leveller.

Arab officials attended the funerals of Jewish victims of Italian bombs. Throughout the country internal animosity has been dropped and Palestine is prepared to defend itself against the enemy of both Arab and Jew. Italy’s bombing tactics are short-sighted even from Mussolini’s point of view, for while little material advantage can be expected from the bombing, Italy is rousing the hatred of the Arabs, whose territories touch the new Italian domains at many points. Having failed to obtain the support of the Arab world, Italy is apparently determined to vent her spleen on Islam. By so doing she is making a rod for her own back, because a thoroughly roused Islam could seriously discomfit the Italians, especially in North Africa.

When Mussolini last visited North Africa to celebrate the founding of new colonies he solemnly proclaimed himself Protector of Islam. Applause did not come as freely as he expected, and generally the “ protectorate ” seems to have fallen flat. Intrigue there has been in plenty, and Italian and German propagandists have in recent years been working feverishly among the Arabs in an attempt to turn them against Britain. How far they have succeeded is demonstrated in Palestine, where both Arabs and Jews have sworn loyalty to Britain. If Italy has not completely abandoned all attempts to convert the Arabs, the bombing of Palestine will have the same effect. It seems to have been stupid policy on the part of Italy deliberately to antagonise two numerically strong and widely dispersed races.