The social status of Israeli farmers
Preface:
This article I found in his extensive computer archive.
Unfortunately, I have not kept data on Austro this article and I can not tell who it was written. I would be grateful to all and especially to the author, we can specify its name in the title of this article, in which a thorough and detailed history of the Israeli agriculture and its structure.
I hope that this article will be interesting and useful to all who read it.
Once again, the advance express my gratitude to the author for the wonderful stuff and I apologize for the publication of this article on our website without the permission of the author.
F. Rubinstein.
P.S. The author found! His name is Boris Dubson. He lives in the city of Beersheva. In addition to this article, he still has a lot of interesting things written about Israel.
Thank you Boris for permission to post an article on our site!
In 2000, in Israel, there were about a thousand rural settlements, inhabited by 460,000 people. However, only a small portion of the rural population has to do with agriculture. In this sector of the Israeli economy in the same 2000 employed 39,000 Jews and about 9000 Israeli citizens of other faiths, mainly Arabs and 24,000 foreign workers, mostly Thais. However, much of the social status of the inhabitants of rural communities that have arisen as agricultural, and today is due to the historical specificity of the creation and development of these settlements. Last differ primarily by the nature of land ownership: only in the settlements of the "Colony" the land belongs to private owners, all the rest of it is leased from the state cooperatives, views, or the Jewish National Fund or the Land Israeli rule. This, as will be shown below, is of great importance to identify the social status of the rural people.
As for the inhabitants of rural settlements of the "Colony", the predominant part of their historical reasons, became the most successful group of the rural population. Translated "Colony" means the colony. The first settlements of Jewish settlers have on the coastal plain in the days of the Ottoman Empire - in 1882 - 1917 years. Land for these colonies were acquired by Jewish philanthropists, mainly E. Baron Rothschild. Even before 1882 were purchased first 22.5 thousand dunums of land, by 1914 the amount of land purchased by Jews, increased to 418 thousand dunams. Almost 80% of the land belonged to private owners. In these areas, use a cheap Arab labor, but it took a long time to become farmers, Jewish settlers were able to create a profitable family farms. However, as the Jewish population of Palestine, many colonies were transformed into the city, which include Petah Tikva, Rishon Lezion, Netanya, Herzliya, Rehovot, and others. The historical past resemble enclaves of low buildings with large plots of land. The owners of these sites in the event of the sale can get a few million shekels for the earth was at the center of urban neighborhoods. In the 80 years of the last century in 46 settlements of this type of home to 16,000 people, but only a small portion of this group is the descendants of the first settlers and continues to be associated with agriculture.
Although the name of the most common type of rural settlements in Israel, "Moshe" sounds almost exactly like the "Colony", but there are significant differences, "moshav" is an agricultural cooperative. In most of them, the so-called "cooperative workers' cooperative marketing and supply is limited, as well as ownership joint ventures, if any. In 2000, 409 cooperatives of this type of home to 189,000 people. In addition, another 16,500 people population numbered 43 so-called collective cooperatives, which covers cooperation and production. The first "Moshav" appeared in Israel in 1921. It was organized by the colonists who left the kibbutz, is not satisfied with an excessive level of socialization of all life in the kibbutz. The latter we shall return, and as for the moshav, by the time of Israel's creation, there were just 58 settlements of this type. Most new moshavim appeared in the first decade after the country's independence, and their inhabitants are mostly of immigrants who arrived after 1948. Extensive period of moshav, however, like other agricultural settlements in Israel, ending at the beginning of the 80's. Although the number of people in them and has increased, but the number of households in the past decade was considerably reduced. In 1988, of the 27,000 households moshavnyh only provided 11,600 full-time members of the family and an acceptable level of income. 10 thousand family farms had additional earnings is a family farm, about six thousand farms existed only on paper, or belonged to pensioners and the disabled. In 2000, the total number of private landowners and moshavnikov employed in agriculture, was 15,000, compared to 41 thousand in 1960. The major part of the income of families in Moshav up their earnings beyond agriculture. Working in nearby towns, the inhabitants of moshavim prefer to live in their homes, many of which are the size and improvement did not concede a villa in the suburbs of Tel Aviv. But urban residents attracted by the opportunity to build or rent a home in the moshavim of which can be reached in 15-30 minutes by car to the big city. From the 80's. is a kind of annexation of the former agricultural lands that are used for low-rise residential cottages with land plot in a half-dunam (1000 square meters. meters). In 90 years, changes in the law have allowed to start in moshavim, located in the center of the country, the construction of entire blocks of houses. Due to the construction of new housing in moshavim number of their inhabitants continued to grow from 1983 to 2000, it grew from 141 to 189 thousand people. Commission, the governing Colony, seeking to limit the impact of the new neighbors to address common problems, not giving them the right to participate in elections to the board of the moshav. But this is a kind of rearguard action - obviously, the old system in Moshav associated with cooperative farming is doomed to extinction.
Even more impressive transformation undergo Israeli kibbutzim - agricultural communes. Formally in 2000 in Israel, there were 268 kibbutzim, inhabited by 115,000 people. But this is far from those agricultural communes, which have become legend and history are written hundreds of books. In order to understand the magnitude of the changes occurring in the kibbutzim, you must at least briefly with their stories.
The first agricultural commune - kibbutz in Palestine dates back several decades before the establishment of Israel - in 1909. She founded the young Jews who came from Russia, who called himself "Halutz" - the pioneers. On the land of their ancestors, they were going to re-create the connection between the Jew and the ground lost over two thousand years of exile, to live in harmony with the national organic and religious traditions. However, they dreamed of creating a "new Jew" - rural farmers with socialist ideals, living in a just society based on full equality and collective responsibility. These ideas are a lot of followers who have created dozens of kibbutzim. Not all members of the kibbutz stands the test of hunger, disease, lack of basic amenities, a struggle, and sometimes bloody, with a hostile Arab environment. Not everyone was liking and egalitarian principles, according to which the organized life in kibbutzim. In fact, it was the first in the history of a social experiment in which for decades carried communist principle "from each according to his ability, to each according to his needs." Kibbutzniks believed in communist ideals of the charter in 1927, organized the first union of the kibbutz was written that the kibbutz is the prototype of the future communist society. Implementation of these principles is reflected above all in the community of all movable and immovable property (the first memories kibbutzniks even underwear, brought even from Russia, after washing laundry kibbutz could change the owner.
Kibbutz members periodically change jobs, hard and dirty work, evening and night shifts, work on weekends and Saturdays kibbutzniks performed by turns. Meeting the needs of all material is made from public funds - in the kibbutzim had clothing store, laundry room, dining room. Each member of the kibbutz, and received a certain amount of cash, the extent of personal budgets are approved annually by the General Meeting. Kibbutzim pay for the treatment and training of the members of the kibbutz, in particular young people studying at universities fit kibbutz fields. In total mess not just fed. First it was a center of social life, where, together celebrated Saturday and holidays, evenings discussing all problems - from the philosophical to the family. By the way, family life was also socialized - children only a short period after birth were with their parents, then they were brought up at convenience nurseries and kindergartens. Parents to visit their children in the evenings after work, carrying with them a couple - three hours. The intervention group in family life in modern terms was shocking: of the same old memories kibbutzniks known fact, when the general meeting condemned the behavior of couples, who expected a third child in the family, as anti-social and antiideynoe because the kibbutz at this time there are no hands . In early kibbutzniks lived in tents, which are due to their scarcity often lodged a married couple and a girl or a guy. Last kibbutzim called "Primus" These heaters were on three legs and a third leg were loners podselyaemye the tent to couples. All this, of course, long ago, indicating extreme poverty kibbutzim in the first phase of their existence. At the same time that poverty was the key to the relative stability of the egalitarian organization kibbutzim. By the time the State of Israel, there were about 170 kibbutzim, which played a huge role in the development of the young state, and its subsequent history. Suffice it to say that much of the political and military elite of the country until recently was presented came from kibbutzim. Peak of its prosperity kibbutzim and moshavim as reached in the 60's and 70's. In 1960, agriculture in Israel was created a fifth of the country's gross domestic product and about the same part of the work was employed in this sector. Application of the most advanced technologies of cultivation and livestock farming brought Israel to the forefront in the world. But productivity growth has its reverse side: for domestic needs and export require fewer workers. For example, in the kibbutz "Nahal Oz" a few decades ago for the treatment of 10,000 dunums of arable land required 25 employees now to handle this area fairly 6-7. In addition, growth in labor productivity in all at least offset the higher production costs. Cultivation of many crops do not outweigh the costs, and in foreign markets Israeli products it harder to compete with the products of the developing countries with cheap labor. Gone are the days when a person is determined by the Israeli agricultural export oranges, now it is the largest item is the export of flowers and exotic fruits. Orientation only on agricultural production ceased with the changing times and needs of the kibbutz members themselves.
It should be noted that in the early 60's has changed markedly, and makeup of the kibbutzim. The number of religious kibbutzim, whose members have a very different set of values than the people from Russia and Eastern Europe who came to Palestine in the early decades of the 20th century. In older kibbutzim were many newcomers - immigrants from the United States and Western Europe, as well as demobilized soldiers and officers, rather lukewarm about the socialist ideals generation "pioneers." As soon as the changes the world, so to speak, "for kibbutz outskirts," became more and more difficult to maintain confidence in the old ideals and maintain habitual kibbutz life. Increase in aggregate wealth has significantly expanded range of needs and spiritual needs kibbutzniks themselves. Passenger car, travel abroad on holiday and many other new goods and services difficult to fit in an egalitarian model of consumption. While these new requirements in the kibbutzim have tried to "standardize": passenger cars were purchased to provide them as needed kibbutz members, co-organized trips abroad, etc. Nevertheless, the growing diversity of individual needs were incompatible with the social form of their satisfaction.
Frustration and dissatisfaction with the ideals kibbutz orders reflected in the reduction of the number of members of kibbutzim, especially in the second half of the 80's .. According to surveys of former members of the kibbutz, the greatest discontent intrusive kibbutz members in their personal lives, the high degree of dependence on the decisions made by other members of the kibbutz, the disparity of our kibbutz life, the imbalance of personal contribution and material effect. A significant part of the "fugitives" had hoped to do better in adult life. Important role played by other factors, such as lack of professional prospects and possibilities of manifestation of personal initiative in the kibbutz. Can not ignore the growing discontent financial situation. Financial difficulties experienced by many kibbutzim from the mid 80's, has led to a reduction in personal budgets and freeze the size of public funds. This was mainly due to the fact that in the first half of the 80's. Many kibbutzim, leaning from the hype to create their own industry, they took bank loans, not thinking about the possibilities of the investment. With runaway inflation the real interest on a loan has been relatively low. But in 1985, as a result of the program of economic recovery inflation was reduced to 20% and the lending rate rose in two years from 12 to 89%. As a result, debt kibbutzim on loans increased from 2 to 12 billion shekels in the period 1982 - 1989. Yet, as already noted above, the economic difficulties were not the only cause of downsizing kibbutzniks. Left the kibbutzim mostly young people - more than 70% people aged under 40 years. Exodus from kibbutzim took so widespread, that some of them left a symbolic number of members. In 1998, according to the national association, which included 170 kibbutzim on the smallest of them were only 13 members and candidates in 12 kibbutzim were less than 40 kibbutzniks. In fairness, we note that in the same year in the largest kibbutz there were 924 members and candidates, and in 14 of the collective kibbutzim population exceeded 500. The 48 members of kibbutzim number between 100 and 200, and in 40 kibbutzim from 200 to 300 members. Turning to the situation in the kibbutzim in the 80 years, it can be noted that they met Hamlet's question - to be or not to be. We had to take drastic measures in order to survive in the new environment. One of these measures was the practice of giving members of the kibbutz right side. Young people received vocational and higher education, and not finding his knowledge of native kibbutz, is released on a kind of "dues." She was not allowed to work on a kibbutz, provided that earnings will be transferred on a kibbutz in the bank. Of the total amount of earnings as part of the fee goes to public funds kibbutz, part of the "seasonal workers" uses for its own needs, get a credit card bank. For example, in the kibbutz "Nahal Oz", where half of the members are working on the side, 50% of their earnings deducted to the budget of a kibbutz. At first, many kibbutzim set a deadline of work outside the kibbutz - about three years. Now these restrictions almost dropped. Number kibbutzniks to "obrok" has grown considerably in the last decade: in 1986, only 9% kibbutzniks worked side by 1997 is 18.5% - 14.4 thousand - fall into this category. Sometimes members of the kibbutz, working abroad, earn less than employees in the kibbutz. But more seasonal workers higher wages than the personal budgets of members of a kibbutz.
It should be noted that in the early 60's has changed markedly, and makeup of the kibbutzim. The number of religious kibbutzim, whose members have a very different set of values than the people from Russia and Eastern Europe who came to Palestine in the early decades of the 20th century. In older kibbutzim were many newcomers - immigrants from the United States and Western Europe, as well as demobilized soldiers and officers, rather lukewarm about the socialist ideals generation "pioneers." As soon as the changes the world, so to speak, "for kibbutz outskirts," became more and more difficult to maintain confidence in the old ideals and maintain habitual kibbutz life. Increase in aggregate wealth has significantly expanded range of needs and spiritual needs kibbutzniks themselves. Passenger car, travel abroad on holiday and many other new goods and services difficult to fit in an egalitarian model of consumption. While these new requirements in the kibbutzim have tried to "standardize": passenger cars were purchased to provide them as needed kibbutz members, co-organized trips abroad, etc. Nevertheless, the growing diversity of individual needs were incompatible with the social form of their satisfaction.
Frustration and dissatisfaction with the ideals kibbutz orders reflected in the reduction of the number of members of kibbutzim, especially in the second half of the 80's .. According to surveys of former members of the kibbutz, the greatest discontent intrusive kibbutz members in their personal lives, the high degree of dependence on the decisions made by other members of the kibbutz, the disparity of our kibbutz life, the imbalance of personal contribution and material effect. A significant part of the "fugitives" had hoped to do better in adult life. Important role played by other factors, such as lack of professional prospects and possibilities of manifestation of personal initiative in the kibbutz. Can not ignore the growing discontent financial situation. Financial difficulties experienced by many kibbutzim from the mid 80's, has led to a reduction in personal budgets and freeze the size of public funds. This was mainly due to the fact that in the first half of the 80's. Many kibbutzim, leaning from the hype to create their own industry, they took bank loans, not thinking about the possibilities of the investment. With runaway inflation the real interest on a loan has been relatively low. But in 1985, as a result of the program of economic recovery inflation was reduced to 20% and the lending rate rose in two years from 12 to 89%. As a result, debt kibbutzim on loans increased from 2 to 12 billion shekels in the period 1982 - 1989. Yet, as already noted above, the economic difficulties were not the only cause of downsizing kibbutzniks. Left the kibbutzim mostly young people - more than 70% people aged under 40 years. Exodus from kibbutzim took so widespread, that some of them left a symbolic number of members. In 1998, according to the national association, which included 170 kibbutzim on the smallest of them were only 13 members and candidates in 12 kibbutzim were less than 40 kibbutzniks. In fairness, we note that in the same year in the largest kibbutz there were 924 members and candidates, and in 14 of the collective kibbutzim population exceeded 500. The 48 members of kibbutzim number between 100 and 200, and in 40 kibbutzim from 200 to 300 members. Turning to the situation in the kibbutzim in the 80 years, it can be noted that they met Hamlet's question - to be or not to be. We had to take drastic measures in order to survive in the new environment. One of these measures was the practice of giving members of the kibbutz right side. Young people received vocational and higher education, and not finding his knowledge of native kibbutz, is released on a kind of "dues." She was not allowed to work on a kibbutz, provided that earnings will be transferred on a kibbutz in the bank. Of the total amount of earnings as part of the fee goes to public funds kibbutz, part of the "seasonal workers" uses for its own needs, get a credit card bank. For example, in the kibbutz "Nahal Oz", where half of the members are working on the side, 50% of their earnings deducted to the budget of a kibbutz. At first, many kibbutzim set a deadline of work outside the kibbutz - about three years. Now these restrictions almost dropped. Number kibbutzniks to "obrok" has grown considerably in the last decade: in 1986, only 9% kibbutzniks worked side by 1997 is 18.5% - 14.4 thousand - fall into this category. Sometimes members of the kibbutz, working abroad, earn less than employees in the kibbutz. But more seasonal workers higher wages than the personal budgets of members of a kibbutz. In the same kibbutz "Nahal Oz" the highest level of nominal wages are 5 times higher than the lower, but after taxes, the gap is reduced by 2 times.
Innovations were not limited to the provision of the right to work outside the kibbutz. Kibbutzim began to explore the possibility of earning income outside of agriculture. Small industrial production, mainly for processing agricultural products appeared in the kibbutzim long time, but the real revolution in their production orientation began only in recent decades. Industrial buildings and entire enterprises were established in almost every kibbutz. In 2000, 454 companies in the kibbutzim and moshavim employed 37,000 workers, 10% of total employment in the manufacturing industry. Not all of them are indeed factories. Sometimes these are small shops or workshops, which are sufficient to accommodate the premises of the former clothing store, all the equipment can be transported in a small plane. The range of production in the kibbutzim unusually wide as the number of items, and the level of technology used. There are companies producing unique alloys, cutting-edge electronics, semiconductors, etc. But along with high-tech products made furniture, construction materials, consumer goods, intended for specialized categories of consumers, for example, toys, cases for glasses, jewelry, etc. Currently, the kibbutz industry accounts for 7% of total sales, 9% of exports, 7% and 6.5% of investment employed in the manufacturing industry. According to the Association of kibbutz enterprises average level of education and skills of workers in enterprises belonging to the union, is higher than in the whole of Israeli industry. However, every second person kibbutz enterprises already in the 80 years he worked for wages. Converting kibbutzim in the agricultural sector led to the final abandonment of the principle of "self-reliance" - the employment of only the members of kibbutzim. The number of employees is especially noticeable in the kibbutzim grew in 90 years: from 1991 to 1997. it increased from 10.8 to 27 000.
Some of the kibbutz enterprises were so profitable that the opportunity to raise additional capital by converting them into joint stock companies. Thus, in the kibbutz "Carmelite" in 1993 on the basis of the factory "Carmel-plastic" created equity firms and 20% of its shares successfully implemented on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange. Establishment of modern enterprises require significant investment and pooling kibbutzim, many of which were included in the joint concerns. Agroindustrial complex "Granot" belongs to 41 kibbutz. In 90 years, this plant has invested heavily in the development of technological greenhouses, to develop new technologies. In early 2001, "Granot" created together with private investors, the financial holding company to finance promising technological developments.
Diversification in the kibbutzim is not limited only to the establishment of industrial plants. Kibbutzim are located in scenic locations, began to develop the tourism industry, offering urban residents rural holiday with full board and the possibility of using the infrastructure, including swimming pools, parks, horseback riding, etc. A hotel in your home, intended before numerous guests from abroad who came to get acquainted with kibbutz life. Commercialization also covers other areas of kibbutz life. Canteens in many kibbutzim refurbished rooms at the celebrations that are handed for weddings and anniversaries, house, abandoned by former members of the kibbutz, rented visitors.
The increasing complexity of economic structure kibbutzim led to a number of negative consequences of their social organization. Noticeable increase in the number and influence of managers, of which depends primarily on the effectiveness of management. Rotation of managers of industrial and other enterprises seems absurd. Serious problem is the management of the economy in the kibbutz is a large difference in the profitability of individual branches. Most kibbutzim have moved to a system of self-financing for individual sectors. With the joint business involving several kibbutzim, or even with private capital raised the issue of the economic independence of the former kibbutz enterprises. According to the law of joint stock companies organized by the Board of Directors, in which all shareholders. This council is responsible for the financial activities of the company. The kibbutz "Carmelite" after the conversion of the plant into a public company soon became convinced that the board has an opinion on the use of profits, at variance with the opinion of management of a kibbutz.
Changes in the nature and structure of the industrial activity in the kibbutzim went on simultaneously with the evolution of the professional composition of its inhabitants. In 1997, almost a quarter of the adult population were specialists with higher and secondary education, 6.5% of managers, 29% office workers and professionals in the field of services and trade, 9% - industrial workers, and only 12% - skilled agricultural workers. In 2000, only 9.5 thousand members of the kibbutz were directly involved in agriculture.
All these changes, starting with the growth of "seasonal work" and the number of employees and complete the transformation of the occupational structure kibbutzniks, led to the inevitable erosion of the basic principles of the social organization of kibbutzim. Since many kibbutzim almost one in four of its inhabitants in the early morning leaving for work and returning late at night, joint lunch and dinner in the dining room lost its ritual. Every second kibbutz "migrant workers" are given money for food, and many people do prefer to eat at home completely. In some kibbutzim table had to close or convert, as discussed above. Virtually around the clock rolled nurseries and kindergartens - children sleep at home. In the late 90's only one kibbutz "Baram", which its inhabitants call themselves historical reserve, remained around the clock child care.
The above-mentioned changes did take place smoothly, but not so on the transition to the kibbutz for differentiated pay. This transition is painful and debt. At the beginning of many kibbutzim groups agreed to a change in the relationship between the payments to social funds and personal budgets in favor of the latter. By 1991, this reform has occurred in about half of the kibbutz. With the increase in personal budgets to scale back the needs kibbutzniks from public funds - the cost of food, electricity consumption are borne out of personal income. Then in some kibbutzim have to pay for extra night, Shabbat and holiday duty at the workplace. After that went to the calculation of the so-called "shadow" wages corresponding to pay for similar jobs outside the kibbutz. Only then came the stage of transition to the current system of differentiated pay. In order to avoid potential disputes and conflicts, wage rates determined by independent experts. By the end of 90's transition to a differentiated labor occurred in about 50 kibbutzim, which, in fact, completely separated from the fundamental principles of their social organization - equality in consumption. Of course, some differences exist in the financial position of the kibbutzim in the past: one helped foreign relatives, and other material support to parents or children who are able to achieve material well outside the kibbutz. But deep stratification in the kibbutzim is relatively recent, with the formation of a stable administration and management of the elite and differentiated pay. The kibbutz developed its "rich" and "poor", but this is only true gradation within themselves kibbutzim. In general, the level of social protection of members of kibbutzim are immeasurably higher than the total population. Even in the kibbutzim, where moved to a differentiated wage set at a high initial level of income. For example, in the kibbutz "Gesher Hatsiv" graduate school is guaranteed a minimum of 3,000 shekels, and for couples, respectively - 5.1 thousand shekels. In the same kibbutz, where half of the 200 members over 50 years, the pension is 7.2 thousand shekels - net per couple. It is by Israeli standards high enough pension. It is noteworthy that the same elements of social organization longer stored in the kibbutzim, which have the highest incomes. Rich kibbutzim can afford to maintain public consumption on a large scale. However this does not preclude discord between the older generation and youth kibbutzniks over the distribution of revenues and profits. For example, in the kibbutz "Gadot" received 75% of its revenues from the plant for the production of plastics, the older generation in favor of increasing pensions, while the youth demanded the increase of personal budgets.
What awaits the kibbutzim in the future? Can they follow the example of the members of the kibbutz, "Mishmar David", to dissolve his kibbutz? (Below) A lot will depend on how you will be solved "the problem of the earth" in Israel. Until the early 90's kibbutzim and moshavim receive compensation for alienated their agricultural land for residential and industrial building at standard rates: one dunam unirrigated land - $ 1,500, respectively, irrigated land - $ 3,000, and a dunam, used under fruit plantations - 5 thousand dollars, however, since the early 90's the price of land began to grow rapidly due to the construction boom in 1991 - 1998. from agricultural seized about 400 thousand dunams, of which a quarter of the central region, 80,000 dunums in the north and nearly 60,000 dunams in the south. Investments in construction brought huge profits. Kibbutzim and moshavim, too, of course, wanted to get their share of that fat cake. Some of them were able to take advantage of the favorable situation and built on their lands shopping center serving the residents of nearby cities, especially on Saturdays, when most commercial establishments in the city are closed. But at stake are hundreds of thousands of dunams of agricultural land. Potential only housing in 30 cities of Israel in 1996 was estimated at 350,000 housing units. Essential part of the development will take former agricultural land. In general, the area suitable for agriculture in Israel is 4.2 million dunams, of which only half - irrigated. In the most central part of the country's fertile agricultural area of about one million dunams. According to the Department of Rural Planning and Development, Ministry of Agriculture in the next 20 years, approximately 200,000 dunams of agricultural land in the center of the country will be used for the construction of housing, roads, industrial and commercial zones. How would each profit from increased land rent? In the early 90's farm lobby, led by current Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has managed to change the law on compensation for being withdrawn from agricultural use of land. Under the new rules kibbutzim and moshavim received 50% of the market price of land for commercial use and the right business initiative in this land. However, this procedure worked long - A. Shohat, finance minister in the Rabin government was forced to reduce the proportion of farmers up to 27% on the land in the center of the country and returned to the right of entrepreneurship seized Land Management lands in Israel. The fight continues, and again established a commission to consider the issue, offering to reduce the size of compensation kibbutzim and moshavim to 15 - 20% and even 10% of the market value of the land. While this is the old order - compensation is 27% of the market price of land in the center of the country. Which sums may be involved as exemplified moshav "Ahismah", located near the city of Lod. After five years of considering the construction of three thousand housing units in the lands of the moshav the spring of 2000, he received permission to commercially use 27% of the total area of land for development. According to the agreement signed between the Moshav and firm "Shuval" on this area will be built 800 houses and cottages with a market value of $ 120 million. What part of this amount will moshav is unknown, but it is obvious that it will be more than the market value of the land itself.
But even in the worst of the kibbutz and moshav changes in land legislation of the economic situation of one hundred kibbutz does not cause any - or fears. These rich kibbutzim help partially pay off debts of other, less fortunate neighbors. But even in the poorest kibbutzim planned privatization of the housing stock (total value of about two billion dollars), turn kibbutzniks in expensive real estate owners. There is no doubt in the fact that the members of the kibbutz collective owners remain accumulated productive assets and companions in the joint business. But in this as a member of the kibbutz have nothing to do with the "new Jew" dreamed of the initiators of the unique in duration and scope of a social experiment.
Farewell to the Kibbutz
"Mishmar David" - a small kibbutz, located near the city of Rehovot. He became one of the first kibbutz, convertible into ordinary rural settlements. Due to banks and the Jewish Agency twenty families, including about fifty members of the kibbutz, is 70 million shekels. We all "minus - millionaires," joked kibbutzniks. The only solution for the kibbutz - eliminate coops and build on the occupied area of 350 new houses and villas that are offered for free sale. For the transformation of an ordinary kibbutz settlement in a short meeting voted 50 kibbutz members, and only one was against. What explains such agreement? The reasons for the collapse of the kibbutz values are typical. In the 80 years of the kibbutz took credit for building their own small factory and got into debt. Many kibbutzniks left in the city, others have found work outside the kibbutz.
Gradually reduced set of services to members of Kibbutz from public funds. Each member of the kibbutz receives a salary and pay personal income tax. All alone buy food, clothes, books and medicines. Contents kibbutz dining room became waste, much of the food went to feed the dogs kibbutz. In 1993, the kibbutz gave up providing their members clothes, instead they began to give money. This immediately resulted in savings in the budget of 50 thousand shekels a year. In 1994 he closed the dining room. About a year it celebrated the Sabbath and holidays, but the members of the kibbutz were fed up with the encumbrance of kitchen and dining room was closed for good. Only the memories of the joint holding of Passover, which brings together 200 members of the kibbutz, their families and guests. This tradition - a celebration of the Independence Day with a performance of folk dances and disco also died out after the members of the kibbutz were to hand out money to meet their individual cultural needs. The only public institution in the kibbutz - Laundry, which is used for free.
Communications between members of the kibbutz is torn, they are increasingly corrosive envy of each other. None of the young people do not want to live on a kibbutz. In these circumstances, the proposal of the Public Trustee kibbutz debt to transform an ordinary kibbutz settlement was greeted with relief. Every second on a kibbutz - 50 years old. They hope that the sale of poultry houses built instead will not only pay off your debts, but also provide a good pension. In addition, all members of the kibbutz remain owners kibbutz factory producing labels.
The reforms in the "Mishmar David" is closely watched in other kibbutzim, unsuccessfully trying to maintain old traditions. According to the former secretary of the kibbutz "Mishmar David," familiar with the situation at the neighbors in the next ten years, approximately one third of all kibbutzim follow the example of his home kibbutz.
Afterword. (From F. Rubinstein)
Agricultural production is about 10% of Israel's GDP and about the same share of exports. Much of this production is made by farmers, that is moshavniki that are formally members of the moshav, ie unique cooperative, but the Soviets moshavim perhaps more involved in issues of improvement, social sphere, education, rather than just agricultural production, but working hard to keep control of agricultural lands and jealously guard their settlements from the expansion of the full moshavnikov.
In the article a lot of attention paid to the kibbutzim and the author states the slight sadness withering ideas underlying the kibbutz movement by its creators. However, sadly, collective agriculture can not compete with a healthy private initiative, and the kibbutz movement could not stand this competition, despite the serious preferences and subsidies that they provide.
The last such step was the decision to establish a kibbutz industry. It was a wise decision that will allow many kibbutzim to find a way out of the difficult financial situation, but even this step of the state was not able to keep afloat all kibbutzim. The main reason for this, in my opinion, was very inefficient and cumbersome management system established companies when making decisions involving public structures were kibbutzim, up to general meetings, where there is often very elderly, members of the kibbutz, born and raised on the socialist collectivist ideas , retarded dynamics of these businesses, which ultimately led many kibbutzim and the whole system to slow extinction.
It should be noted that several kibbutz enterprises could lay the foundation for the industry to produce modern agricultural equipment
