Land Colonisation, Militarisation and Self-Labour Policy This description of Kibbutz Deganyah's establishment illustrates the thrust of Zlonist colonisation of the land and the concept of 'avodah tzmit', self-labour. The former was carried out by an agency of the World Zionist Organisation, the Jewish National Fund (JNF) which as a land trust held purchases as «the inalienable property of the Jewish people» (7). No non.Jew could ever legally purchase land, lease it or purchase its crops, once it was owned by the JNF. At first rather cool to collectivist development, the WZO soon recognised its potential as a land settlement institution. Dr. Ruppin's agency encouraged kibbutz pioneers, giving them JNF land in strategic areas for Jewish settlement. (It is worth noting that by 1947 JNF holding in Mandatory Palestine amounted to 4 o/o, approximately half of the Jcwish holding in Palestine before the establishment of the State). The 'Stockage and Watchtower' kibbutz settlements of the 1930's are especially interesting with respect to the convergence of klbbutz land settlement and the political and military functions of colonisation. Responding to the growing struggle with the Palestinian nationalists and the British Mandatory Government, the Stockade and Watchtower kibbutz system attempted to create a network of anned Jewish communities in previously all-Ara.b regions. Kibbutz Ha.nitah, my home in 1970-71, was established by East European Jews as part of this system : «A few days before its birth hundreds of Jewish settlers gathered to begin the march to Hanitah, located on top of a mountain, eight kilometers from the Mediterranean Sea. On foot and on donkey the settlers canied provisions to the mountain top . . . On the final day of transport 200 vattiklm remained with the make-shift tents and supplies in the new kibbutz. Late that night neighbouring Arab villagers attacked Hanitah, and by the time the attack was successfully resisted, two vattikim were dead and many injured on both sides. The history of Kibbutz Hanitah had begun and reflected simllar incidents throughout Palestine in the pre-State years» (8), During this period political socialisation functions well-suited to the intense collectivist spirit of kibbutzim, including ingathering of youth groups, and Hebrew language training, became secondary to Zionist military needs. One of the leading Kibbutz Federations, Ha-Kibbutz ha-Me'uhad, was instrumental in the formation of the (7) For a critical account of Zionist land settlement see Fouzi elAsmar's, I Will Remember the Land, American Jewish Alternative to Zlonlsm, 1973. (8) Quoted !rom the author's lmpublished paper «The Middle East Confllct • A Look at Israell Klbbutzim», -· 129
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