ABSTRACT
The ‘moshava’ is a type of agricultural settlement established upon the individual initiative and with the private funds of the settlers. The ‘moshavot’ in Judea and Sharon, in the main, were established by groups of individual settlers, or plantation companies. In the agricultural occupations Raanana headed the list while Petach-Tikvah came last, followed by Rishon-Lezion, which is rapidly becoming industrialized. Concentration upon citriculture, and the scanty area under other crops, indicates the monocultural character of agriculture in the larger ‘moshavot’, which indeed was a contributory factor in the process of urbanization. In one ‘moshava’ close to the city, occupying 22,000 dunams, in the heart of the citrus belt, only 800 dunams are under groves, while 7,000 dunams are being cultivated temporarily. In one ‘moshava’ complaints have been made against Government opposition to plans for industrial development; the authorities, it appears, favour the establishment of rest-homes, pensions, hotels and vacation centres.
