Zionism Forums - Zionist and Israel discussion

[scopus]

Zionism and its Impact - an article by Anne M. Lesch originally published in the Palestine Encyclopedia, has become a classic of anti-Zionist propaganda, cited in hundreds of Web sites. It amplifies the Palestinian Arab claim that Zionism disposessed the Arabs intentionally and did so from the start. But is it true?

See Zionism and its Impact at
http://www.zionism-israel.com/impact_of_zionism.htm

Discuss the article here.

Ami Isseroff

[Dvar Dea]

I’ve encountered reference to it by anti Zionists, who suggests that because this landlords where absent they where somehow tricked by the Zionists.

Is this a legal or technical term?
Was it used at Mandatory times, or is it something that exists only in anti-Zionist propaganda?

My suspicious comes from a simple point of logic. These landlords had a lot of land in several places; they could not have been present in all them. Been absent from those places, or some of them, is simply unavoidable.
i. e. there is nothing unusual in this form of absent.

Plus, all those landlords where accessible for trade, negotiations, pleas, lawsuits and the like... That does not exactly constitute absent. They would have been considered absents, if they had live in North America, Australia, Argentina or in a closed dictatorship, which would have made accesses to them difficult, and difficult for them to check their properties, if they wanted too.

[Oboler]

Notes on absentee landlords

Not exclusivly a Palestine issue

Absentee landlords in Ireland
"Those who owned estates in England had realised that a well managed estate could be a source of considerable income. The Agricultural Revolution had shown landowners the way. Such interest was rarely shown in Ireland. Those who owned the land were frequently absentee landlords. This title accurately indicates the problem: those who owned the land were never there to see what was going on within their estates. Many of the absentee landlords lived in England. This left the system open to much abuse. Many landowners would leave agents behind to run their estates or they would lease their land out to middlemen for a set number of years in return for a set sum of money. These middlemen ensured that they got their money back - and more. They were motivated purely by profit."
http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/ireland_%20land_%20problems.htm

Absentee landlords in Prince Edward Island (Canada)
"Absentee landlordism was the source of a century-long political controversy on Prince Edward Island. It began in the mid-1760s when a survey team divided the island into 67 lots. Each lot had an area of about 20 000 acres (8000 hectares). On July 1, 1767, these lots were allocated to supporters of King George III by means of a lottery (even the King himself participated)."
http://www.collectionscanada.ca/confederation/023001-2952-e.html

Current problems with absentee landlords in Manchester
The problems caused by an above average level of 'absentee' landlords. According to a recent audit by Manchester City Council, as many as 60 buildings in the N4 (some in prominent locations) are either lying vacant or have an absentee landlord. Anecdotally, the share of buildings that are either vacant or have absentee landlords is well in excess of that in most other parts of the conurbation core. The obvious difficulties of engaging in meaningful dialogue with absentee landlords has acted as a significant constraint on those trying to take forward regeneration in the N4.

Use as propoganda
This claim is used a lot and is inaccurate. I'm currently adding to page on wiki to clarify the issue.
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Zionism and Israel on the web

[Oboler]

Ok... we've now added a page on this. Any comments from spelling corrections to additional information you think should be included... drop a note in this thread.

You can see the page at:
http://www.zionismontheweb.org/zionism_palenstinian_absentee_landlords.htm
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Zionism and Israel on the web

[Dvar Dea]

Brilliant.
What this tells us that the absentee landlords where apart of an exploitation of the peasantry, the ‘fellahin’. A fact worth mentioning whenever debating this period.

Thank you and good job Andre.

[scopus]

Hi,
The problem is related to Ottoman land ownership laws and the Tanzimat reform of 1858. Most of the land in Palestine was not privately owned (Miri) land. It was deeded for use to one or more users in common and only the right of use of the land could be transferred.
In 1858 the Ottoman government instituted land reform to motivate productivity - and raise taxes. People could now privatize their holdings. Poor farmers did not have the access, pull etc to buy land, so whatever land was bought by notables and rich people often living abroad. Conditions in Palestine were poor and rich people would rather live in Beirut or Jerusalem. Therefore, a lot of land came into the hands of a few
families - the Sursuks in Beirut, and the Husseini, Nashashibi, Nusseibeh and Dajani clans in Palestine. That was the only private land and therefore the only land that Zionists could purchase.

An account of purchasing the Jezreel Valley is given here:
http://www.zionismontheweb.org/Rupin1925.htm

[interestedstudent]

I am about to start a dissertation topic on the origins of zionism - specifically the effects of the tanzimat land reforms of 1858 on the development of zionism.

i am hoping to argue that had the land reforms not come into effect, the first russian jews would not have been able to buy land in palestine. my argument will be based around the idea that had ownership of land by the jews not been possible, the idea of zionism would have remained an ideology as there would have been no foothold in palestine.

i was hoping if anyone would tell me what they think of this idea, and if anyone thinks it is a feasible line of study.

many thanks.

[Ami I]

Interested student wrote: