Report to the ... Zionist Congress and to the Council of the Jewish Agency in ... · 1935-08-01 · 8.1935 · p. Seite 163

tion will be less potent. Nevertheless the Keren Kayemeth has suffered a great blow by speculation, particularly as it had to pay for some of its new acquisitions prices to which it would never have agreed under normal conditions. In addition, many of its purchases were endangered through the machinations of the land speculators, whom nothing will deter. In view of the above the acquisition of land is becoming the most difficult and most expensive part of the work of reconstruction. The Jewish world must realise that this problem involves even more than increased effort and expenditure. We are facing a great danger which threatens the entire task of Geulath Haares, for these factors, added to others connected with the increasing " prosperity," such as the improvement of Arab agricultural methods and the great increase of the agricultural population, lead to a growing limitation of our possibilities of acquiring land in Palestine. This decline in the possibilities of land acquisition can only grow more critical for us as time goes on. The factor of time has an importance which it perhaps did not have before; it constitutes a great warning in connection with the future of our work and at the same time an exhortation to lose no time, but to act betimes. The Zionist movement must realise that the acquisition of land is the most endangered, most important and, above all, the most urgent task of the work of reconstruction. All efforts must be exerted to bring the greatest possible areas'in the shortest possible time into the possession of the Jewish people, and under conditions which will permit a well-planned colonising activity. This can only be done through the Keren Kayemeth, which acquires land in considerable and inter-connected areas which permit the carrying out of considerable settlement plans at prices which do not make it impossible for the settlers to obtain a profit from their work. These lands will make it possible for future settlers to earn their livelihood, and at the same time enable the K.K.L. to receive an adequate recompense from the lessees for the use of the land, in the form of leasehold rent. A considerable increase of land-buying by the K.K.L. must become the slogan of the Zionist movement for the near future. To achieve this object, it will be necessary for the K.K.L. to have a much higher income shortly. This can be done in various ways. First of all, through the intensive exploitation of all collecting methods of the K.K.L., which in part has already been done for years in a systematic manner. Secondly, the K.K.L. must be enabled, in addition to the careful cultivation of the small donation, to raise large contributions through the medium of campaigns. This must be done in a way which will not prejudice the income of the Keren Hayesod. It is quite possible to arrange this, and the K.K.L. must be enabled to carry out campaigns for large-scale donations in all countries where there are probabilities of success. A revision of the 1925 agreement between the K.K.L. and the Keren Hayesod is necessary for this purpose. 163