ABSTRACT
The peasantry inhabiting the area that was formerly Palestine developed out of a particular type of feudal conditions. Using data collected on economic-occupational groupings covering the years 1920 to 1963 in an Arab village in Israel, trace the transition of a peasantry into a rural-dwelling proletariat. The internal political and social relations within the villages, which author can only touch upon briefly, were an expression of the feudal economy. The internal solidarity of the hamule and factions formed by a number of combined hamayil was achieved largely through the marriage system, which is also characterized by many feudal overtones in spite of its concern with kinship. Hamule and faction gained increased solidarity through endogamous marriages; secondarily such marriages satisfied social and welfare needs and obligations, especially pronounced among kinsmen. The economic-occupational changes following the esablishment of the State of Israel have been radical.
