ABSTRACT
In 1947 Jewish holdings in Palestine amounted to 1,850,000 dunam, owned by national institutions, public companies, or private individuals. Material relating to the acquisition of 682,000 dunam during the years 1936–1938 was collated by the Statistical Department of the Jewish Agency. A fair judgment for the entire seventy-year period of Jewish settlement would be that a third of all lands obtained from Arabs were acquired from the fellaheen. The demand of the Jews for land gave the impoverished fellah an opportunity to sell his not-so-valuable plot of land, free himself from his economic burdens, and learn a well-paying trade. The eager Jewish land buyer expended considerable sums of money to pursuade the other fellaheen of the village to give the consent to the change in registry. The nationalist Arab leaders fought untiringly against the sale of land to Jews. Perhaps some sold land because of economic difficulties, but others – because they were profiteers".
