HIST 219 Lecture Notes - Lecture 18: S. Ansky, Civilizing Mission, Yishuv
Document Summary
Btwn 1904-1914, only 2% of those leaving russia go to op--and go largely for econ, not poli/relig reasons. By 1920 jews only 20% of pop. Thought that palestine was a land w/out a ppl, empty, undeveloped. Couldn"t b further from the truth, 700,000-750,000 pop in op, cities, but most ppl small landholders. Jews hav also had centuries long historical presence--abt 15% of pop, mostly mena jews. The conquest of labour (kibbish avoda)--an ideology promoted by socialist zionists who came to dominate yishuv politics in the 1920s. In order to transform into the new jew, jewish immigrants to palestine must work as manual labourers. Problem--palestinian labour cheaper, less likely to organize. Jewish employers should replace arab workers with jewish ones. Jews should purchase products made in palestine only produced by jews. Notions of racial superiority and the moral worth of dominating others are largely absent from the zionist movement--jewish state thought 2 b a refuge, don"t want.
