Land Question in Palestine, 1917-1939 - by Kenneth W Stein (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

The control of land remains the crucial issue in the Arab-Israel conflict. Kenneth Stein investigates in detail and without polemics how and why Jews acquired land from Arabs in Palestine during the British Mandate, and he reaches conclusions that are challenging and suprising.

Stein contends that Zionists were able to purchase the core of a national territory in Palestine during this period for three reasons: they had the single-mindedness of purpose, as well as the capital, to buy the land; the Arabs, economically impoverished, politically fragmented, and socially atomized, were willing to sell the land; and the British were largely ineffective in regulating land sales and protecting Arab tenants.

Neither Arab opposition to land sales nor British attempts to regulate them actually limited land acquisition. There were always more Arab offers to sell land than there were Zionist funds. In fact, many sales were made by Arab politicians who publicly opposed Zionism and even led agitation against land acquisition by Jews. Zionists furthered their own ambitions by skillfully using their understanding of the bureaucracy to write laws and to influence key administrative appointments. Further, they knew how to take advantage of social and economic cleavages within Arab society.

Based primarily on archival research, The Land Question in Palestine, 1917-1939 offers an unusually balanced analysis of the social and political history of land sales in Palestine during this critical period. It provides exceptional and essential insight into one of the most troubling conflicts in today's world.

Review Quotes

"A workmanlike and often inspired study which casts brilliant new light on a subject of continuing interest to students of the Palestine-Israel struggle. Kenneth Stein's work is now the standard."--International Journal of Middle East Studies

"During the period of the Mandate, the Jewish community in Palestine steadily and resourcefully increased its purchases of land as a basis for the future Jewish state, despite Arab objections and British restrictions. Kenneth Stein, making use of the British archives and of mountains of material covering thousands of real estate transactions, has written an objective and comprehensive history of this question."--Foreign Affairs

"In writing his important book covering a period of 22 decisive years of the Mandate Administration the author has concentrated his inquiry on two major questions, namely, how did the Zionist movement succeed in acquiring a sufficient area of land in Palestine which, when the time was ripe, became the territory of the State of Israel and what were the reasons that compelled the Arab population to lose control of part of their holdings by selling considerable areas of land to the Jews whom they opposed from the beginnings of their efforts to settle in Palestine."--Middle Eastern Studies

"Stein has written an important study, relying on unique documentation."--American Historical Review

"The first comprehensive, amply documented analysis of the land question in Palestine between the two world wars."--New York Times

About the Author

Kenneth W. Stein is Professor Emeritus of Contemporary Middle Eastern History, Political Science, and Israeli Studies at Emory University.