How Sarajevo daily Oslobođenje covered the foundation of the state of Israel

Abstract

The paper explores the question of how Sarajevo daily Oslobođenje- organ of the then National Front of Bosnia and Herzegovina reported on the foundation of the State of Israel. The author has analyzed contents of the newspaper during the period of January 1947 to June 1948. It has been determined that Oslobođenje devoted relatively small portion of its contents to foreign news. Its main focus at the time was on the news regarding building of socialism and consolidation of the socialist power. Occasionally, reports on Palestinian issue were published. Those were mainly agency news  particularly of the Soviet newspaper agency TASS. Commentaries by two authors were also published.

Oslobođenje echoed the position of socialist Yugoslavia toward the Palestinian issue by supporting the plan for division of Palestine into Jewish and Arab states, reporting on proclamation of independence of Israel, and criticizing Arab countries who engaged militarily in the Palestine.