Al-Quds maintained a leading position and special importance despite strict Israeli military censorship and was the most prominent among publications.
Al-Quds has kept pace with the Palestinian moment in all its details, and for this reason it has become an indispensable reference that cannot be ignored or overlooked.
High professionalism has been one of Jerusalem's most prominent features, enabling it to excel over its peers and maintain its status over the past decades.
I felt very happy when Ibrahim Melhem was appointed editor-in-chief, as I saw it as a qualitative step in the newspaper’s journey and an important leap in its professional history.

Speaking to Al-Quds on the occasion of its 20,000th issue, Jerusalemite writer Jamil Al-Salhout recounted the newspaper's history as if it were the history of an unbreakable homeland, emphasizing that it was "the primary platform for expression after the June setback and the voice of Palestinians in the heart of the occupied city."

In his speech, Al-Salhout emphasized that Al-Quds was not an ordinary newspaper, but rather a collective memory and a vital archive of the city's history, literature, and political and cultural movement. As much as it provided a haven for post-1967 writers, he said, it remained the most widely circulated, most professional, and most independent newspaper, without slipping into partisanship or restrictive censorship. Rather, it embraced everyone and wrote for everyone, thus earning its place, even today, as a symbol of steadfastness and respect.

Al-Riyada newspaper after the setback

- Being born and raised in Jerusalem, how do you remember your beginnings with Al-Quds newspaper? Was it part of the Jerusalemite home in your childhood?
* When the 1967 war broke out and the subsequent defeat occurred, I was eighteen years old. At that time, all the newspapers published in Jerusalem before the occupation, such as Al-Jihad and Al-Manar, ceased publication.
A number of young writers at the time—such as Mahmoud Shuqair, Khalil al-Sawahra, Subhi al-Shahruri, Jamal Banoura, and Abdul Hamid Taqash from Gaza—turned to writing for the Israeli Communist Party's press, specifically for the Al-Ittihad and Al-Jadeed newspapers.
When Al-Quds newspaper was published after the war, it became the first journalistic outlet to emerge from the territories occupied in 1967. It attracted a large number of veteran writers, along with new faces who emerged during that period, such as Asaad Al-Asaad, Adel Samara, Khalil Touma, and others.
The publication of Al-Quds came at an exceptional time and marked a significant event in Palestinian journalistic life. Although it, like other later Arab newspapers such as Al-Fajr, Al-Shaab, and Al-Bayader, was subject to strict Israeli military censorship, Al-Quds maintained a pioneering status and special importance, and was the most prominent among these publications.

Voice of Palestine under Occupation

- In light of the occupation of the city and its changing features, what role did Al-Quds newspaper play in protecting the cultural identity of Jerusalemites?
* Like other newspapers published later, Al-Quds covered the Palestinian situation in all its details, reporting on the practices of the Israeli occupation in the occupied territories, from land confiscation to settlement expansion and other violations. For this reason, it has become an indispensable reference, one that cannot be overlooked by any researcher interested in Palestinian affairs since 1967.
In addition to its political and news-oriented role, the newspaper also distinguished itself by embracing the Palestinian literary scene, through its cultural page, which opened the door to a large number of young writers who emerged after the occupation. Prominent writers wrote for it, including Zaki al-Aila, Abdullah Tayeh, Muhammad Ayoub, Saleh Zaqout, Ziad al-Hawari, Mufid Dweikat, Jamil al-Salhout, Jabra Hanouneh, Jamal Salsaa, and others who made their way from the pages of Jerusalem to the Palestinian cultural scene.

Professionalism that stands the test of time

You are a multi-genre writer, from short stories to novels to satirical articles... Did Al-Quds newspaper play a role in embracing some of these experiences?
* Yes, I wrote for Al-Quds newspaper more than once, and I had articles published there. However, after 1974, I moved to work for a number of Palestinian newspapers and became directly involved in journalistic work. This made it inappropriate, professionally, for me to continue publishing for another newspaper while working for other journalistic institutions.
However, the significant role played by Al-Quds newspaper cannot be denied, whether in shaping public awareness, fostering new writers, or establishing the presence of Palestinian journalism in the heart of the occupied territories, despite all the restrictions and censorship.
- In your opinion, what makes Al-Quds newspaper able to withstand the 20,000th issue, despite the political, economic, and media crises?
* Al-Quds newspaper is considered the most professional newspaper published in the occupied territories after 1967, as a number of professional journalists worked in it, who possessed real experience in field and editorial journalistic work.
This was reflected in the nature of the newspaper, which was the most proficient in several aspects: in terms of regularity of publication, quality of journalistic production, accuracy of news formulation, and depth of editorial content.
This high level of professionalism has been one of Jerusalem's most prominent features, enabling it to excel over its peers and maintain its status over the past decades.

Non-partisan platform

Do you believe that Al-Quds newspaper has succeeded in being an open platform for all segments of the Palestinian cultural scene? Or are there areas that could have been further expanded?
* What distinguished Al-Quds newspaper from other Palestinian newspapers published after 1967 was that it was not a partisan newspaper, unlike other newspapers that were directly or indirectly affiliated with specific political organizations or parties.
This does not mean that it was completely open to all trends, as it was itself subject to a kind of internal censorship and had clear political orientations, but it remained relatively more independent and more professional than many other newspapers.
However, the prominent role played by Al-Quds newspaper in the Palestinian journalistic landscape cannot be denied, both in terms of coverage and in fostering writers and ideas.
- Given your involvement in initiatives such as the "Youm7" symposium, how do you see the complementarity or gap between the Jerusalem literary movement and the cultural journalism in the newspaper?
* As all those interested in the cultural movement in the occupied territories know, the Seventh Day Symposium was launched on March 1, 1991, and has since then served as a free weekly forum for discussing Palestinian literary and intellectual production.
We regularly documented the symposium's proceedings, and Al-Quds newspaper kindly published many of its sessions, contributing to the dissemination of this cultural activity to a wide audience and cementing the symposium's status as a pillar of the Palestinian cultural scene in Jerusalem and beyond.

Funny memory with the newspaper

- Do you have any special memories of any issue of the newspaper, or of certain articles that you felt represented a pivotal moment in the history of Jerusalem journalism?
* I don't have a specific position with Al-Quds newspaper in mind now, but what comes to mind is a deeper observation related to the reality of the Palestinian press in general, and especially the newspapers published in the occupied territories.
In my opinion, the strength of any newspaper stems from its ability to cover local news in depth and with honesty, and from providing a platform for local writers, especially in a geographically isolated and politically restricted environment such as the occupied Palestinian territories.
Unfortunately, some local journalists have resorted to republishing articles from Arab newspapers published abroad, instead of highlighting local voices living and writing from within the daily struggles.
One of the funny incidents that will never leave my memory is when we sent one of the Youm7 seminars to Al-Quds newspaper on the same night it was held, but it wasn't published. Ironically, the London-based Al-Quds Al-Arabi newspaper published it the very next day. About two months later, we were surprised to find Al-Quds newspaper publishing the same text, this time copied from Al-Quds Al-Arabi!
I then went to the newspaper's offices in Jerusalem and met with a number of editors, who were also surprised when I told them that the text had originally been sent to them, before being returned to them from abroad via another newspaper.

A rich archive for researchers

As a social critic, do you believe that Al-Quds newspaper has succeeded in reflecting the transformations and contradictions of Jerusalemite society?
* This question goes beyond the scope of Al-Quds newspaper and other Palestinian newspapers, as the newspaper is by nature a general news paper, and does not specialize in in-depth social or economic affairs.
However, Al-Quds continued to report on events and incidents from the field, via its correspondents or citizens inside the occupied territories. This enabled it to indirectly document many of the social transformations that Palestinian society has witnessed over the decades.
Thus, its archive today represents a valuable resource for researchers in sociology and beyond, as it reflects developments in daily life and changes in popular consciousness in the context of the occupation.
On the occasion of the publication of the 20,000th issue, what message would you like to send to the newspaper’s editorial team today, to its readers, and to the new generation of Jerusalemite journalists?
* I was very happy when Ibrahim Melhem was appointed editor-in-chief of Al-Quds newspaper. I saw it as a qualitative step in the newspaper’s journey and an important leap in its professional history.
Al-Quds newspaper is today the most widely distributed newspaper in the occupied Palestinian territories, and its continued publication for more than half a century is credited to its status as a pillar of Palestinian journalism.
Over the years, most young writers of all ages have turned to Jerusalem first, as it is the most prominent newspaper and the platform that has always provided them with the opportunity to start their careers.

Competence before loyalty

Concluding his remarks, Jamil Al-Salhout made an important point to those in charge of Al-Quds newspaper and to all those working in the Palestinian local press, saying: "I would like to add something I deem necessary, which is that the mechanism for appointing newspaper employees should not be based on personal relationships or political affiliations, as often happens, but rather should be built on professional competence alone."
He added, "It is important that the newspaper's doors remain open to all writers, regardless of political or ideological orientation, or personal relationship with the editors. What must be taken into consideration is the quality of the material and its suitability for publication, and nothing else."