Dr. Kenneth Stein, Professor Emeritus, Emory University,
kenstein@israeled.org, November 2024
Sources: Minutes of JNF meetings, statements by JNF officials, comments in the Palestinian Arab Press, remarks by British Colonial officials, and official reports. All KKL files are located at the Central Zionist Archives in Jerusalem, collected in April 1973
February 1948 “Because of the present (political) situation there is a temporary break in relations between us (JNF) and the owner of land and Arab sellers; but the contacts between us (JNF) and them is not broken. They are seeking to sell land because they are in financial distress and need the money. Indeed there are no possibilities to transfer today their land to the name of the JNF at the land registry office as it was once possible.” Remarks by Joseph Weitz, ‘Land Purchase Situation.” Protocol of a JNF Directorate Meeting, 3 February 1948, KKL 10.
November 1946 “For several years now we have summarized the possibilities of land purchases at the beginning of the year. From the totals of the past years we can conclude that the potential for land purchase has not decreased. The potential remains each year at 200-250 thousand dunams.It can clearly be determined that the source of land in the country has not run out. Since we have purchased extensive tracts of land from the Arabs these past years and the possibility of more purchases still exists, it can be concluded that the will to sell in the Arab camp hasn’t decreased. If there were no obstacles set up in our way we could purchase land without restraint. Remarks of Joseph Weitz, “A Meeting of those dealing in buying lands for the JNF.” November 10, 1946, CZA, S25/6560.
June 1940 “the Arab landowner [needed] to be protected against himself, ” Remarks by British Colonial Office official, Sir John Shuckburgh, 14 June 1940, CO 733/425/75872, Part 2.
March 1939 Dr. Avraham Granovsky, “The Land Frontier During the Years of the Arab Riots” One of the toughest challenges in the last three years of our national struggle has no doubt been the issue of the land frontier. It was difficult not only because of the multitude of obstacles that we have encountered as Jews here and in the Diaspora but also because of the Arabs’ vicious attitudes towards our efforts to purchase land.
The objection of the Arab leadership to every single land transaction with us was one of the two major points of their political agenda. Their objection was not theoretical but an actual resistance; it entailed horrible threats directed at any Arab who was willing to sell his land to Jews or serve as a mediator in a land transaction. The murders of those who were involved in one way or another in land transactions became daily occurrences. Many Arab landowners, horrified by death threats, refrained from selling land, even if such a sale was an essential matter of livelihood for them. Consequently, the Arab terror drastically reduced offers of land for sale.
The terror factor had diminished our opportunities, yet we witnessed the predicament of those Arabs who wanted to sell their lands. The economic situation in the Arab Sector had worsened throughout the years and selling land had become an economic life-saver for many Arabs and their families. However, despite their growing fear, we were able to act aggressively during those years, though it required an immense effort. The analysis of our purchases from a geographical perspective is quite fascinating. During the last three years, a new region, the Upper Galilee, has opened up for our national settlement. It did not happen by mere chance.
In order to understand this new venue, it is necessary to clarify the basic premises of our land politics. We have moved in three directions. The first one was political in that it involved taking a preconceived action in anticipation of the changing circumstances and the emerging dangers. We have directed our purchasing interests to new regions so that we can turn the situation to our own benefit. We therefore focused our purchases on those areas in which Jewish settlement was questionable. The second direction focused on strengthening isolated and weak Jewish settlements. The third direction focused on the expansion of areas which would provide us with the ability to settle newcomers immediately.
December 31, 1937 JNK/KKL Information Circular No. 2/98 , STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL
The Political Significance of Land Purchase, – KKL Record Group 5, Central Zionist Archives, Jerusalem, Israel
Eliyahu Epstein —We have already acquainted you with the fact that, as foreseen by the JNF management, the disturbances in Palestine have brought about a considerable increase in the offers of land for sale. At a meeting of the Board of Directors held on 6th December a report was submitted showing that these offers were on a scale unprecedented since the World War. If means were available, contracts could be closed for 200,000 dunams in various parts of the country, including both areas in the projected Jewish and Arab State, and on their borders, with an undertaking on the part of the vendors to complete the transaction in a short time. Of these offers at least 150,000 dunams have been examined and found satisfactory in respect of lands in Upper Galilee, Districts of Beisan and Acre, Judean Hills (the “British corridor”) [the Jerusalem to Tel Aviv road] and in the south. The acquisition of this territory would require an LP.1,100,000 additional, [above] of course to the regular budget of the JNF.
Minutes of the Meeting Held in the JNF Offices in Jerusalem, (22 November 1926) – KKL Record Group 5, Central Zionist Archives, Jerusalem, Israel Present at the beginning of the meeting: Menachem Ussishkin, Shlomo Kaplansky, D. Shtern, Akiva Ettinger, Dr. Avraham Granovsky, Yehoshua Hankin, Dr. Jacob Thon, E. Kroiza, Dr. Arthur Ruppin. Joined the meeting while in process: Abraham Hartzfeld, A. Koller, Berl Katzenelson, and Yitzhak Eliezer (Volcani) Vilkanski.
Yehoshua Hankin: I assume that you all know how much land we can purchase in Eretz Israel in the next ten years. The areas are as follows: In the south, half a million dunams; in Bet Shean Valley, despite the foreseeable difficulties, about 200,000 dunams; in the lowland and the Shomron – 150,000 dunams; in Yehuda – 50,000 dunams; in the area east of the Jordan River – 1,000,000 dunams; on west side of the Jordan River, in the Negev region, we have the possibility of purchasing 500,000 dunam’s and an additional 500,000 dunams in various other locations. We can’t totally desert the Negev. Gaza is about to be developed and there are plans to construct an airport. Another airport is planned to be constructed near Be’er Sheva. We can’t totally leave this place now. There are no more available deeds. It is conceivable that land will be available in the future and we will be able to purchase it with mortgages. My firm opinion is that we can’t leave the Negev. My suggestion is that we purchase every year 50,000 dunams in the Negev. The prices may vary according to locations: from half Egyptian Pound to one Egyptian Pound per dunam. Near Be’er Sheva the price per dunam is already 1.25 Egyptian Pound. This is an issue that we should consider now.
See the Palestinian Arab press criticisms of Arabs for selling land to Jews from early 1930s forward