Kibbutz

Definitions

The kibbutz is, by definition:

“a community deliberately formed by its members, with primarily agricultural vocation, where there does not exist private property and which is supposed to provide for all the needs for its members and their families”. Let us note that the mainly agricultural character is largely exceeded today.

“a unit of settlement whose members are organized in community on the basis of common property of the goods, recommending individual work, the equality between all and co-operation of all the members in all the fields of the production, consumption and education”.

a Jewish organization Zionist intended for the implantion of population in Ground of Israel.

Its main force comes from the individual engagement of all the members. The company spirit collective counts for much and contributes to the creation and the maturation of communities which succeed economically on the open market. Lastly, the standard of living raised today, reached thanks to economic successes, supports also the maintenance of the communities.

Organization, principles and operation

Physically speaking, the majority of the kibbutzes are based on the same pattern: in the center spread the common buildings such as refectory, auditorium, offices and library, surrounded by gardens and the houses of their members; slightly eccentric are the buildings and sports equipment; the industrial fields, orchards and buildings finally are with the periphery.

There is generally no really elected structure: the decisions are made by the general meeting. With time, elected bodies appeared, but the ideal kibboutznik imposes that they have little to be able.

The secularity and the equality of the sexes are asserted since the beginnings (except in the religious kibbutzes), which explains the relations historically very tended with the Jewish monks. The members of the kibbutzes were even shown not to be Juifs more, even if this charge, which had been carried by the rav Eliezer Menahem Schach (or Chakh), one of principal the Israeli rabbi haredi of the end of the 20th century, remains relatively isolated. But even when these charges are not taken again by the others Haredim , the relations are very bad. Many charges thus flowered in the ultra-orthodoxe mediums. One will even see, at the time of the business of the “children of Teheran” (of the orphans placed in Kibbutzes), the Haredim to create “a secret organization, " activistes" , to try by all the means of countering the action and the influence of the laic parties in the camps of immigrants. It is a historical scar which will mark two successive generations of haredim which will tell infernal stories of crowned books found in scraps in rabbit burrow with rabbits, common showers where young girls and boys of the kibbutzes wash themselves together, of immigrants forced to eat pig. In 1990, the rav Eliezer Menahem Schach will prohibit with its ultra-orthodoxe flocks left '' Degel HaTorah '' and [[Shass]] to join a left coalition. It will justify its position by the old argument according to which the Kibbutz is the enemy of the faith”.

Although there are some exceptions, the members all of the Kibbutzes are Juifs. There were fallen through attempts at organization of Arab Kibbutzes, but the Jewish Kibbutzes have vocation to remain organization Jewish nationalists, whose base is almost exclusively Jewish.

There are normally no wages: the community provides free and in a strictly levelling way the collective goods (swimming pools, schools, etc) and the individual consumer goods (residences, televisions, computers). No difference is made according to the statute, the qualification or the work station of the members.

The economic activity of the kibbutz is collectivist: the means of production and exchanges are the property of all, and there are no contractors deprived in a kibbutz.

Moderate sums making it possible each one to go in the outside world to the kibbutz to consume there freely are also given to the members, on a levelling basis.

Federations

Each kibbutz is self-managed. It thus has the political autonomy suitable for a municipality. It also profits from economic autonomy specific to a company operating on the open market, and in front of adapting to it quickly.

But the kibbutzes felt the need to gather of federations:

to defend their interests before the official institutions;
to implement services profiting at all (legal aid, financing,…).

These regroupings were done on an ideological basis:

Movement kibboutznik unified, (Hebrew acronym TAKAM): it is the main confederation. It is close to the Israeli workers party (or Mapaï). Approximately 60% of the kibbutzes are affiliated there.
Kibbutz Artzi: it is a federation close to the Mapam (extreme-left Zionist), with 32% of the kiboutzim. It amalgamated with TAKAM in 2000, but preserves a certain specificity.
Kibbutz Dati (religious kibbutz): it is the third federation, with 6% of the kibbutzes. It is resulting from the Hapoel Hamizrahi, an undercurrent religious Zionist, at the origin influenced by certain left-wing ideas.
Enfin, two ultra-orthodoxe kibbutzes were created by the party Poalei Agoudat Israel , connects (or dissidence, according to the times) " ouvrière" party Agoudat Israel.

History

The model which finally was essential, appeared only after one ten experiments, which all have periclity. There was at the beginning of the XXe century, the tests not-egalitarians and (semi) capitalist of villages collectivists with classes of workmen, engineers, executives, etc, not having the same rights or the same wages. The " possession" by the means of wages, and the privileges granted to most graduate brought only tensions and inconsistencies, incompatible with the socialist ideal of the new emigrants. What makes say to certain authors whom the kibbutz was a need and not the realization of an ideal. The experiment nevertheless released sufficient teaching to improve the principles which in broad outlines remain today. The model of the Mochav, Community, date also of this time of idealistic boilings.

Agricultural origins

The origin of the Kibbutzes is within the party Ha' poel Hatzaïr, a nonMarxist political party, influenced by Russian populist socialism and the work of Tolstoï. The ideal is that of a socialism rural, anti-industrialist and anti-authoritative, very marked by anarchism (refusal of the elected structures).

In 1909, an small group of young Jewish immigrants originating in Eastern Europe, driven by the ideals socialist Zionists and , based on banks of the Lac of Tibériade the first kvoutza (Hebrew group in , grouping to which was later on given the name of kibbutz, community based on adhesion with the same rural lifestyle and collectivist). They called this kibbutz Degania , which since is regarded as the mother of the kibbutzes . Kinneret is the second kibbutz, born in 1912.

Their kvoutza wanted to be democratic and levelling, founded on the collective ownership of the means of production and consumption. A framework of life where all the members made the decisions in concert and in the majority, and were divided equitably right and duties.

In the beginning, the kibbutzes were formed by young poor immigrants and without subsidies. For a long time, the life was extremely difficult there, far from the enviable standard of living reaches today.

In the beginning also, the communities are small sizes (a few tens of people). As of beginning of the year 20, they grow, counting several hundreds of members now. This more important size was judged at the time necessary for economic development and human of the project, and became the standard.

The Kibbutzes were not conceived in the beginning to be simple a " expérience" collectivist. Resulting from the extreme left radical, their members wished on the contrary to offer a social model which would not finish absorbing all the Yichouv. It was a question of creating a " man nouveau" and a " company nouvelle" , removed from the private property. The " also had to be broken; bourgeoise" family; , which explains why the children were high joint, and did not live with their parents.

The development of industry and the services

As from the years 1920 and 1930, the Marxist Zionists of the Achdut Ha' avoda , ex Poale Sion launches in their turn of the kibbutzes. It is partly under their influence that the first industrial activities will develop, which in the beginning will be very criticized by the partisans of purely rural communities.

The Ha' poel Hatzaïr and the Achdut Ha' avoda amalgamate into 1930 within the Mapai, unifying thus partially the political movements supporting the kibbutzes, and contributing to make accept industrial development by the Kibboutzique movement.

As from the years 1960 and 1970, the kibbutzes will add to industry and agriculture tourism and the services.

Confiscation of the Arab grounds

At the time of the Second world war, there were approximately 80 kibbutzes, against 269 in 2003. Their growth after the Second world war and the independence of Israel was thus spectacular.

Before the creation of Israel, the kibbutzes were created primarily on bought grounds.

After the war of independence of 1947-1949, the State of Israel confiscated the grounds of the Palestinian Réfugiés (and sometimes also those of the Palestinian Arabs remained in Israel). These grounds became the collective ownership of the State, through the Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael or K.K.L. This one gives them to exploit at the rural communities (Mochav im or with the kibbutzes).

After the war, many kibbutzes were thus installed on old Arab grounds, which created:

of the sometimes acute conflicts with the former owners remained in Israel;
of the conflicts with the former owners or become tenants of the refugees: during the years 1950, especially, one will note frequent attempts at infiltrations of refugees trying to exploit their old grounds clandestinely, or attacking the new occupants;
of ideological contradictions: certain kibbutzes installed on old confiscated Arab grounds raise of the party of extreme-left Mapam, which asserted a State judéo-Arabic before the creation of Israel, and adopts an attitude of support for the rights of the Arab minority since. This contradiction sometimes strongly obstructed the militants of this tendency.

The integration of the immigrants

The kibbutz was one of the tools for integration of thousands of Jewish immigrants, and expelled Jewish of the Arab countries. On the one hand while integrating into its structures of new arrivals, on the other hand while being used as temporary centers of absorption, or the courses (Hebrew, Zionism, training of a trade) are exempted.

Crisis and evolution

The period pionnière is far, and the kibbutzes are not today any more the reference impossible to circumvent of the construction of socialism to the Israeli.

Economic crisis

As from the years 1970, the kibbutzes knew enormous economic difficulties, reinforced by quasi the disappearance of the subsidies under the governments Likoud (right).

Years 1980 were thus a period when the kibbutzes had to reorganize in-depth their economic activities. The most carrying sectors: industry, tourism and services were developed. The agriculture of the origins was relegated to the second rank (15% of the members are still affected only there). There were some bankruptcies besides. However, with the beginning of the year 1990, the kibbutzes had overcome the crisis, which undoubtedly remains hardest of their history.

Today, in spite of some exceptions, the kibbutzes are regarded as in economic and financial good health. The standard of living of the members of the kibbutzes is one of highest of Israel, which causes besides sometimes the rancour of the surrounding communities.

Crisis of the values

Beyond the collective and levelling management of work, the kibbutzes in the beginning had also developed a collectivist lifestyle: taken joint meals, complete absence of private property (even clothing was at least theoretically collectivized), joint education of the children, who did not live with their parents.

Since the years 1970-80, new individual and family values develop in the kibbutzes. The collective ownership, collective work, social egalitarianism and the direct democracy are not really called into question. But of the evolutions appeared, in particular the acceptance of the private life and the family life. Thus, today, there is hardly but the meal of midday which is taken jointly with the refectory, and the children sleep in their parents.

Always in the development of this sphere of deprived, an allowance of “personal budget” appeared. It is not a question of wages, and the allowance is normally equal for all. But it makes it possible to take part in the consumer society, and to buy various goods not provided by the kibbutz, which consequently becomes a private property.

Certain kibbutzes (minority) further have same summer by introducing a scale of wages differentiated between the members, which is an enormous rupture compared to the egalitarian tradition.

Another factor of questioning, the industrialization of the kibbutzes involved the recourse to external labor, paid. It is important: 50 to 60% of the workers employed by the whole of the kibbutzes. These workers can be Jews, but also Arabic or immigrant workers of various origins (China, Eastern Europe,…). This labor, especially concentrated in the tasks of execution, perceives sometimes the kibbutz where she works like a collective “owner”, with which conflicts can emerge. It touches obviously wages, concept which does not exist normally in a kibbutz (but which develops to with it, to see higher). And it really does not take part in the definition of the policies of the kibbutz, which violates the levelling principles of the project.

Lastly, certain members of the kibbutzes work now outside. The wages are normally completely versed with the kibbutz (which transfers the allowance mentioned above). This situation always existed (the body of the officers was always rich in members of the kibbutzes). But this tendency is reinforced, and involved three consequences:

certain Community bonds distend somewhat;
of the members economically becomes independent of the kibbutz and can thus leave it constantly. What they do sometimes;
certain incomes escape the kibbutz, and introduce sometimes some social differences (moderate) between the members.

Anarchism and kibbutz

The kibbutz was inspired much in its original principles by the ideas anarchist-Communists: absence of private property of the means of production, equal access to the goods for all, refusal of wage-earning, Community education of the children, rejection of the religion (except in the religious Kibbutzes), refusal of the elected structures, direct democracy.

However, the movement kibboutzic does not claim anarchism, and fidelity with the principles come from anarchism is thus not perfect: use of paid non-member, appearances of certain elected structures.

Just as the movement kibboutzic does not declare itself anarchistic, the contemporary anarchistic movement is readily critical on certain aspects of the kibbutzes. Example of these anarchistic criticisms, the essay writer and “anarchistic Socialist” (according to the definition which it gives of itself) American Noam Chomsky thus expressed its vision in two interviews, the first, available on Internet, in the American radio program Democracy Now presented by Amy Goodman, the second in a book of talks. Chomsky settled itself in 1953, for one six weeks duration, in a kibbutz close to Haïfa.

Criticisms made by the anarchists are for most important:

the kibbutz normally requires of its members the membership of the Jewish community (there exist exceptions, like that of Joseph Ribas, militant of Spanish CNT anarchistic, war veteran of the Guerre of Spain, which settled after the Second world war with woman and children in the Kibbutz Hahotrim , in the south of Haïfa). The anarchism of sound with dimensions generally insists on the principles of universalism and anti-nationalism.
the kibbutzes have a very thorough relation with the State: the economic success of the kibbutzes is partially due to the State grants Israeli, and those provide him troops of elites: pilots, intelligence agents, officers graded, etc… Anarchism rejects when with him the principle even of State.
Chomsky considered that there exists in the kibbutz a “authoritarianism of the extremely strong group”, generating a machism and a very powerful conformism: for example, almost no inhabitant of kibbutzes refuses to make his military service.
the use of paid non-member in the companies of the reintroduced kibbutz of the social inequalities and of being able (they do not vote in collective decision makings) only combat anarchism.

Today

In spite of certain economic problems (surmounted overall well), loss of part of its prestige within the Israeli company (which does not regard any more the kibbutzes as a model to be reached) and acceptance of an important private sphere (family life and consumption), the institution of the kibbutz remains, nowadays still, the greatest Community movement in the world.

In 2005, nearly 120.500 people (1,8% of the Israeli population) live in the 269 kibbutzes of Israel disseminated since the plate of Golan in north until the Red Sea in the south. Their manpower vary from less than 100 members to more than 1000 for some, the majority counting a population of a few hundreds of members.

About thirty these kibbutzes is installed in the occupied Palestinian Territoires.

Population of the kibbutzes in figures:

Bonds and addresses

Mochav (firm associative)
Anarchist-Zionism
History of the Zionism
Israel
Objective Kibbutz: co/AJPI, 140, bd Malesherbes, 75017 Paris. Such: 01-44-15-23-14. Fax: 01-44-15-23-05. Mr.: Wagram.

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