Moshav

History

The moshavim were originally developed by the socialist parties Zionists (Poale zion and Ha' poel Hatzaïr, then Mapai) starting from the the second vagueness of Jewish immigration Zionist towards the Othoman Palestine , at the beginning of the 20th century. They experienced a significant development during the following aliyot, throughout the 20th century. Some Israeli Colonies created in the years 1970 and 1980 in the occupied territories after the Guerre the six day old of 1967 were it in the form of mochav.

Proof of its success, the mochav was used by other political currents Zionists, external with the socialist current. One finds thus mochavim resulting from the current religious Zionist.

Definition and operation

The moshavim are villages coupled with " a co-operative with functions multiples" (Willner, l969). Whereas a traditional co-operative often concentrates on only one function (production of goods, social protection, sales of goods at reduced prices, provision of farm equipment, etc), a mochav gathers all these functions within a small municipality of the village type. Any member of the village must also be normally member of the co-operative.

The mochav is not collectivist, contrary to the Kibboutz, where all is made jointly: meal, work, etc the moshav organizes a traditional family life, and an individual exploitation of the arable lands, centered on the family unit. But it organizes also a multiform co-operation between the members of the moshav, while setting up of many collective services (provision of farm equipment, marketing of the production of the mochav, social services, recreational centres, cultural activity, access to the credit).

Certain activities of the moshav, but not all, can be of nature collectivist, such as for example a company of marketing of the agricultural productions. By definition, it is not possible to work there in an autonomous way, whereas that is possible for the exploitation of the grounds.

As for the Kibbutz im, the land ownership is collectively Israeli (through the Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael or K.K.L.): the State places at the disposal of the mochav the ground which its members exploit.

Each member of the community of the moshav has its own farm and its properties. The workers produce cereals and goods thanks to a division of work and resources. Profit thus profiting with the unit from the group.

The decisions concerned with the individual farms are made by the owner. The decisions on the operation of the village or the co-operative organizations which are attached there are made collectively, in a democratic way. There exist several alternatives of operation. One distinguishes in particular the moshavim " classiques" moshavim shitoufiim . The latter having a more collective operation, approaching the Kibbutz im.

The current moshavim are gathered in several federations, generally related to the ideological currents which created them: socialist Zionists, religious Zionists, etc the federations control themselves of the co-operative companies put at the service of the moshavim members.

Today

The tendency is to be reduced the collective operation of the moshavim (in particular co-operatives of joint purchases), for the benefit of a greater economic and social autonomy of the members. But of many collective functions are maintained.

In 2003, there existed 452 moshavim and moshavim shitoufiim, sheltering approximately 3% of the Israeli population (against 1,8% for the Kibboutz im), and providing most of the agricultural production of Israel.

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