Menachem Ussishkin Seeks Greater JNF Autonomy to Make Land Acquisition Decisions to Escape Plodding Nature of Jewish Agency Officials

One of the founders of the Hibat Zion Movement and an adherer to Herzl’s Political Zionism movement, Ussishkin (1863-1941) makes aliyah in 1919. He likewise participates in the Paris Peace Conference in 1919 where he promotes the establishment of a Jewish homeland in Eretz Israel. He fights to purchase available land offered by Arab sellers, often seeking to sign contracts for long durations even before funds are at hand to make purchases. He travels frequently to raise funds for the JNF; in 1929-1930 he secures a large gift from Canadian donors to purchase the lands that became the kibbutzim around Kfar Vitkin, located along the Mediterranean coast.