September 7, 1945.
Palestine's Land Problem
Calls for a Radical Solution
Palestine: Land and People
JNF Authority Says End of Problem Is Main Purpose
In Jewry's Struggle for Eretz Israel's Future
EDITOR'S NOTE. The author, a member of the Presidium and managing director
of the Keren Kayemeth Le Israel in Jerusalem, is a renowned authority on the Pales-
tine land question, having studied it for several decades and grappled with it on the
scene in connection with the purchase of extensive land tracts as the property of the
Jewish people. In this article he outlines the problem as it appears in the light of
postwar conditions and describes the progress attained by JNF during the war years.
ALESTINE has not
suffered directly from
war operations. As by
'a miracle the Jewish
National Home re-
mained an island of
peace in a storm-
tossed sea, untouched
by the flaming de-
struction of the world conflict. Nonetheless, we
in Palestine are confronted by problems similar
to those that arise elsewhere.
The extent of the difficulties and the measure
of the efforts required depend to a, considerable
degree on the stabilization of the political condi-
tions in Palestine. -
We hope that there will be a radical change in
the political status of Palestine, and that as a re-
sult of it, Jews will be given the opportunity of
continuing to build up the country as a National
Home for the Jewish people.
Three Main Problems
countries as a whole. The only way to improve
the situation is to take radical measures, else it
will be impossible to improve Arab agriculture
and return it to a healthy state, thereby intro-
ducing some change in the structure of Arab
society, which is abnormal in several respects.
It is unnecessary to stress the need for securing
a proper solution of the land question in order to
ensure the continuation of Jewish development
work. Land is the BASIS of our growth in the
Honieland, and we cannot guarantee the sound
development of the Yishuv without making land
available for its economic needs.
Large Areas of Land Needed
The problems connected with reconstruction
equally arise in the case of a people engaged in
constructing its home. anew. For example, large
areas of land will be required for the settlement
and reabsorption in our economic life of our de-
mobilized soldiers.
The most satisfactory solution to the land ques-
tion is to be found in the accomplishment of a
far-reaching agrarian reform, without which ac-
tion on state lines will be impossible. The object
of this reform is to transfer the land from its
present owners to the State or to public outhori-
ties acting in the name of the state, as a means
of dividing the land up in a rational way and
placing it at the disposal of its cultivators.
In other countries the aims of agrarian reform
are, in the first place, to requisition land from
large owners, which calls for large financial re-
sources; and secondly, to divide the land more
equitably, from the economic point of view, to
ensure the exploitation of this means of pro-
duction by wider sections of the population. In
Palestine, these aims alone are not sufficient.
• 750,000 dunams are
land in Eretz Israel
are owned by Jews
are owned by the
,
other than the JNF.
72 villages are estab-
lished on this land.
80,000 people subsist
on it.
o 189 villages are estab-
lished on this land.
• 62,000 Jews subsist on
it.
-
If our confidence is justified by events, the
Government of Palestine will have to carry out
large-scale plans, and in the course of so doing,
it will be confronted by three main problems: (a)
The improvement of the position and the satis-
faction of the needs of the existing Arab popula-
tion; (b) The development of the existing Jewish
population; (c) The creation of opportunities for
the absorption of Jewish- immigration on a large
scale — the most vital of these three tasks.
JNF's Ae-rarian Reforms '
A fundamental distinction must be drawn be-
There -are those who argue that Palestine is a
tween the respective needs of its Jewish and Arab
"small country.-." that its agricultural population
sections. The Jewish community will be confront-
is already sufficiently large and that the area of
ed after the war with the same type of problem
land which is absolutely uninhabited is small. But
as will arise in other countries. For example,
as against these arguments it may be stated that -
there is the need, for re-absorbing demobilized
one of the most outstanding features of Palestine
soldiers, a question which scarcely exists. for
is that much of its land is not being properly cul-
Arabs.
tivated. This land could be developed and, with
The solution of these problems is dependent on
a number of factors: the mobilization of - the - _proper cultivation, support a much larger farming
_population.
capital required; the preparation of instruments
What the Jewish National Fund has been doing
of production, and the technical training of work-
Since its inception has been to accomplish such an
ers, etc. Its solution in Palestine will require, as
agrarian reform. albeit in miniature, on those corn-
elsewhere, the adoption of radical measures and
paratively small acres of land in its possession.
the elaboration of decisive and far-'reaching plans
Its activities constitute an important factor in
Arabs Own Large Estates
leading to the parcellation of large estates.
Among the Arabs there is a system of the own-
The JNF carries out plans for the amelioration
ership of large estates — large, that is to say, by
and development of its lands and creates condi-
the Palestinian standards. There are many
tions which make it possible for a larger popu-
wealthy Arabs who own large areas of land, and
lation to settle on its lands than inhabited them
the situation in this respect is common in other
when they were purchased.
parts of the world. During the course of their
During the war period JNF prepared itself for
60-years' work in Palestine in creating a Jewish
its future tasks. Its program of activities encom-
agriculture, the Jews have purchased some of
passed all spheres of economic life; all branches
these lands, thereby leading to the splitting up of
of agriculture, the needs of industry and housing
large estates. The land bought by Jews has been
development in the town and the villages.
divided into small parcels and transferred to
Our hopes are turned to the prospect of far
peasant farmers.
greater possibilities whOse utilization will necessi-
The Arab economy is characterized by other
tate far-reaching changes in the land law of Pal-
difficult problems, such as the primitive methods
estine. for. the purpose of accomplishing an
of cultivation used by the fellaheen, leading to
agrarian reform. For we know that our main
economic backwardness. Agarian relations in the
function in the struggle ahead will be to solve the
Arab population constitute one of the most seri-
land problem, in order to create all the con-
ous problems facing us, and in this respect are
ditions needed for the absorption of large num-
typical of the backward economy in the oriental
bers of Jewish immigrants.
In the five years of the war, the Jewish National Fund has
added to the national land possessions in Palestine more
than half the area
it acquired in the
preceding 20 years.
Thanks to the increased response of the Jewish people;
which contributed 6 million pounds in these five years,
compared with - 4.2 million in the preceding twenty.
Resume of Accomplishments for Palestine Land-Redemp-
tion
5705 by the Head of the
Detroit J. N. F. Council
E T It 0 I T
JEWS have rea-
son to beproud
of the accom-
plishments i n
%behalf of Pales-
tine
land-re-
demption during
the year \ 5705, and of the beginning we are
making to equal last year's record during 5706.
We have set a new high for the raising of funds
for the purchase of land in Palestine for the settle-
ment of large numbers of Jews in Eretz Israel. •
Our collections are conducted through tradi-
tional methods of fund-raising, and the Detroit
income for the J.N.F. is largely supplemented by
funds provided by the United Jewish Appeal
through the War Chest.
The past year's income nears the unprecedented
total. of $100,000. We are primarily indebted to
the ladies' Auxiliary of the Jewish National Fund
for securing the sum of nearly $45,000 through
their annual event.
During the year,
im-
portant things:
We completed two Forests in Palestine spon-
sored by Detroit Jews, the Fred M. Butzel Forest
and the Joseph H. Ehrlich Memorial Forest.
In addition, another forest was planted in Pal-
estine by Detroit Jews--in honor of the 50th
birthday of Morris L. Schaver, largely through
the contributions of the labor Zionists and
supplemented by a liberal gift of $5,000 from
the Schaver family.
Groves of trees were planted in memory of
Pfc. Joseph L. Bale and Mrs. Giza Isaacs.
We are hopeful that the great demands for
more land in Palestine for the colonization of the-
hundreds of thousands who must be rescued from
the poisoned atmosphere of Europe will find our
--people responsive to the calls of the Jewish
National Fund for liberal support. And we hope
also that Detroit Jews will work awl give to help
make a success of the War Chest, so that the
greater fund it provides for the United Jewish
Appeal should be available for relief and recon-
struction of the liberated Jews of EurpoPe.
THEY NEED LAND
FOR BUILDINGS ,WAREHOUSES. YARDS - AND FOR
WORKERS' QUARTERS
Your
J. N. F. Must Provide It!