ABSTRACT
The pre-State form of settlement suited the population structure, the demographic components, and the economic and political goals. The kibbutz was designed for a young, idealistic, pioneering population that sought challenges reflected in border settlement and the ‘conquest’ of new regions. The moshav structure was a framework for an agricultural population interested in developing a farm economy with a degree of cooperation in the area of marketing, mechanized equipment and public services; anyone who was inclined to agriculture but had no political or youth movement background, and was not prepared for the total collectivity of the kibbutz lifestyle, found the moshav a perfect solution. The moshava, or colony, provided an agricultural base for the lower-middle-class sector of the population that was interested in suburban living based on private farming. The rest of the population which had no interest in any form of agricultural settlement gathered in the cities where the main occupations were services, crafts and industry.
