Issa el-Issa was born in Yafa. His father, Dawud, hailed from a Christian Orthodox family that worked in the oil and soap business.
The Elissa family had a house in Yafa that belonged to everyone in the family, it is called a "waqf" loosely translated as a trust. I visited it on my trip, however, it is now occupied by others.
His early education was completed at the Collège des Frères in Jaffa and the Kaftun [Orthodox] School in North Lebanon. He learned English, French, and Turkish and then enrolled at the American University of Beirut.
Issa el-Issa is widely regarded as one of the most prominent Palestinian journalists of the twentieth century.
Established in 1911, FALASTIN newspaper was the first and most important newspaper in Palestine. It gave a voice to the people who were not allowed to govern themselves. It fiercely opposed the British occupation and then later the Zionist occupation.
FALASTIN was noted for its highly professional character, its wide network of correspondents, and the accuracy of its news. It became a model to be emulated for newspapers in Greater Syria.
Issa was an early opponent of Zionism and further opposed the Greek hegemony over the Orthodox Church, calling for the Arab Orthodox community to be free of Greek arbitrariness. He produced a collection of poetry (diwan) on political and sentimental topics and wrote a memoir, Past Memories, covering his lifetime until he finally settled in Lebanon.
I cannot say I was definitely inspired to become a journalist because of him. But it is interesting to think that somehow the passion was passed down through the generations, as I am not the only one in the extended famiy to be studying Journalism. And maybe this way his legacy will live on much longer.