Selling_VBG Land_NNP to_TO Jews_NNPS Last_JJ week_NN ,_, a_DT 70_CD -_: year-old_JJ Palestinian_JJ real-estate_NN dealer_NN was_VBD murdered_VBN after_IN he_PRP violated_VBD a_DT new_JJ edict_NN by_IN the_DT Palestinian_NNP Authority_NNP making_VBG the_DT sale_NN of_IN Arab-owned_NNP land_NN to_TO Jews_NNPS a_DT capital_NN crime_NN ._. 
The_DT issue_NN of_IN land_NN sales_NNS has_VBZ a_DT long_JJ history_NN as_IN a_DT subtheme_NN of_IN the_DT Jewish-_NNP Arab_JJ struggle_NN ._. 

The_DT 19_CD th_NN century_NN Jewish_JJ intellectuals_NNS who_WP conceived_VBD of_IN Zionism_NNP --_: the_DT idea_NN that_IN Jewish_JJ survival_NN depends_VBZ on_IN the_DT establishment_NN of_IN a_DT Jewish_JJ state_NN in_IN the_DT biblical_JJ land_NN of_IN Israel_NNP --_: never_RB worked_VBD out_RP their_PRP$ ideology_NN 's_POS logistics_NNS ._. 
Jewish_JJ settlement_NN in_IN Palestine_NNP ,_, then_RB part_NN of_IN the_DT decaying_VBG Ottoman_NNP Empire_NNP ,_, only_RB proceeded_VBD piecemeal_RB ._. 
In_IN the_DT 1880s_NN and_CC 1890s_NN ,_, about_IN 25,000_CD Jews_NNPS immigrated_VBD to_TO Palestine_NNP ._. 
Most_RBS integrated_VBN into_IN multiethnic_JJ communities_NNS in_IN the_DT cities_NNS of_IN Jaffa_NNP ,_, Tiberias_NNP ,_, and_CC Jerusalem_NNP ._. 
A_DT second_JJ wave_NN of_IN 30,000_CD immigrants_NNS came_VBD between_IN 1905_CD and_CC 1914_CD ,_, many_DT of_IN whom_WP were_VBD Labor_NNP Zionists_NNP who_WP wanted_VBD the_DT Jewish_JJ state_NN to_TO be_VB socialist_JJ ._. 
Extolling_NNP the_DT virtues_NNS of_IN manual_JJ labor_NN ,_, they_PRP acquired_VBD huge_JJ tracts_NNS of_IN farmland_NN from_IN absentee_NN Syrian_JJ and_CC Lebanese_JJ landlords_NNS ._. 
The_DT "_'' New_NNP Palestinian_JJ Jew_NNP ,_, "_'' they_PRP said_VBD ,_, needed_VBN to_TO be_VB physically_RB tougher_JJR than_IN the_DT brainy_NN shopkeepers_NNS who_WP had_VBD been_VBN trampled_VBN in_IN Europe_NNP ._. 

The_DT Jewish_NNP National_NNP Fund_NNP was_VBD founded_VBN in_IN 1904_CD for_IN the_DT purpose_NN of_IN buying_VBG up_RP land_NN from_IN Arabs_NNPS ._. 
After_IN the_DT Ottoman_NNP Empire_NNP 's_POS defeat_NN in_IN World_NNP War_NNP I_PRP ,_, Britain_NNP acquired_VBD Palestine_NNP and_CC promised_VBD (_( in_IN the_DT Balfour_NNP Declaration_NNP )_) the_DT creation_NN of_IN a_DT Jewish_JJ state_NN ._. 
In_IN anticipation_NN ,_, Jews_NNPS in_IN Palestine_NNP began_VBD laying_VBG the_DT groundwork_NN for_IN a_DT greater_JJR sense_NN of_IN national_JJ identity_NN ._. 
The_DT Jewish_NNP National_NNP Fund_NNP 's_POS charter_NN was_VBD amended_VBN to_TO mandate_VB that_IN Jewish_JJ land_NN could_MD never_RB be_VB resold_VBN to_TO Arabs_NNPS or_CC opened_VBD to_TO non-_NN Jewish_JJ employees_NNS ._. 

Following_VBG Jewish_NNP National_NNP Fund_NNP guidelines_NNS ,_, farmers_NNS evicted_JJ Palestinian_JJ peasants_NNS living_VBG on_IN the_DT newly_RB acquired_VBN plots_NNS ._. 
The_DT total_JJ number_NN displaced_VBN was_VBD small_JJ ._. 
By_IN 1946_CD ,_, Jews_NNPS owned_VBD only_RB 7_CD percent_NN of_IN Palestine_NNP ,_, but_CC the_DT perceived_VBN threat_NN of_IN displacement_NN was_VBD widespread_JJ among_IN Arabs_NNPS ._. 
Starting_VBG around_IN 1910_CD ,_, Arab_JJ newspapers_NNS railed_JJ against_IN Jewish_JJ land_NN acquisition_NN ._. 
Among_IN the_DT peasantry_NN ,_, rumors_NNS spread_VBP alleging_VBG an_DT Anglo-_NNP Jewish_JJ conspiracy_NN to_TO remove_VB Muslims_NNPS from_IN Palestine_NNP ._. 
Anxious_JJ to_TO avoid_VB being_VBG blamed_VBN for_IN Palestinian_JJ landlessness_NNS ,_, British_JJ officials_NNS began_VBD imposing_VBG token_JJ restrictions_NNS on_IN Jewish_JJ land_NN purchase_NN in_IN 1940_CD ._. 
They_PRP publicly_RB supported_VBD Arab_NNP complaints_NNS that_IN Jews_NNPS were_VBD driving_VBG Arabs_NNPS off_IN the_DT land_NN ._. 

Palestinians_NNPS say_VBP evictions_NNS destroyed_VBD their_PRP$ way_NN of_IN life_NN ,_, forcing_VBG them_PRP to_TO move_VB from_IN rural_JJ Palestine_NNP to_TO crowded_VBN cities_NNS in_IN search_NN of_IN work_NN ._. 
They_PRP also_RB say_VBP that_IN the_DT better-educated_JJ Jewish_JJ buyers_NNS had_VBD duped_JJ illiterate_JJ peasants_NNS into_IN selling_VBG property_NN ._. 

The_DT Arab_NNP National_NNP Fund_NNP ,_, created_VBN in_IN 1931_CD by_IN wealthy_JJ Arab_JJ families_NNS to_TO purchase_VB land_NN for_IN displaced_VBN peasants_NNS ,_, was_VBD ineffective_JJ ._. 
During_IN the_DT 1930s_NN ,_, Palestinian_JJ responses_NNS turned_VBD violent_JJ ._. 
In_IN 1934_CD Jerusalem_NNP 's_POS mufti_NN ,_, the_DT spiritual_NN leader_NN of_IN the_DT city_NN 's_POS Muslims_NNPS ,_, decreed_VBN that_IN believers_NNS were_VBD duty_NN bound_VBN to_TO murder_NN other_JJ Muslims_NNPS who_WP sold_VBD land_NN to_TO Jews_NNPS ._. 
Arabs_NNS ,_, who_WP outnumbered_VBD Jews_NNPS by_IN more_JJR than_IN 2-to-1_CD ,_, revolted_JJ against_IN Jewish_JJ land_NN acquisition_NN and_CC British_JJ promises_NNS of_IN Jewish_JJ nationhood_NN ._. 
About_IN 5,000_CD Arabs_NNPS and_CC several_JJ hundred_CD Jews_NNPS were_VBD killed_VBN in_IN riots_NNS and_CC guerrilla_NN attacks_NNS between_IN 1936_CD and_CC 1939_CD ._. 

Zionists_NNP argued_VBD that_IN the_DT land_NN purchases_NNS benefited_VBD all_PDT the_DT territory_NN 's_POS residents_NNS ._. 
Jewish_JJ immigrants_NNS introduced_VBD modern_JJ agricultural_JJ technology_NN ,_, which_WDT increased_VBD productivity_NN and_CC helped_VBD fill_VB the_DT markets_NNS with_IN food_NN to_TO feed_VB the_DT growing_VBG Arab_JJ population_NN ._. 
Zionists_NNP also_RB maintain_VBP that_IN Jews_NNPS became_VBD a_DT lucrative_JJ market_NN for_IN Arab-manufactured_NNP goods_NNS ._. 

Some_DT historians_NNS trace_VB Palestinian_JJ landlessness_NNS to_TO Palestine_NNP 's_POS entry_NN into_IN the_DT world_NN economy_NN in_IN the_DT 1880s_NN ._. 
Urban_NNP commerce_NN drew_VBD some_DT peasants_NNS from_IN their_PRP$ family_NN farms_NNS ._. 
Other_JJ subsistence_NN farmers_NNS found_VBD themselves_PRP competing_VBG with_IN cash-crop_JJ entrepreneurs_NNS (_( Jews_NNPS and_CC Arabs_NNPS )_) whose_WP$ successes_NNS changed_VBD the_DT face_NN of_IN Palestinian_JJ agriculture_NN ._. 
Jewish_JJ land_NN purchases_NNS were_VBD not_RB the_DT primary_JJ factor_NN ,_, these_DT historians_NNS say_VBP ._. 

Very_RB little_JJ of_IN the_DT land_NN owned_VBD today_NN by_IN individual_JJ Jews_NNPS and_CC the_DT Israeli_JJ government_NN was_VBD acquired_VBN by_IN purchase_NN ._. 
Jewish_JJ sovereignty_NN and_CC ownership_NN were_VBD established_VBN the_DT way_NN these_DT things_NNS usually_RB are_VBP :_: by_IN war_NN ._. 
Israel_NNP confiscated_VBD all_DT land_NN owned_VBN by_IN the_DT British_JJ government_NN ,_, mostly_RB desert_NN and_CC mountains_NNS ,_, after_IN the_DT 1948_CD War_NNP of_IN Independence_NNP ._. 
Property_NNP owned_VBN by_IN Arab_JJ refugees_NNS ,_, who_WP either_CC fled_VBD war_NN zones_NNS or_CC were_VBD forced_VBN from_IN their_PRP$ homes_NNS by_IN the_DT Israeli_JJ army_NN (_( another_DT long-standing_JJ controversy_NN )_) ,_, was_VBD also_RB taken_VBN over_IN by_IN individual_JJ Jews_NNPS or_CC confiscated_VBN by_IN the_DT government_NN ._. 
Many_JJ Palestinians_NNPS ,_, however_RB ,_, stayed_VBD put_VBN ,_, retained_VBD their_PRP$ land_NN ,_, and_CC became_VBD Israeli_JJ citizens_NNS ._. 

A_DT new_JJ school_NN of_IN Jewish_JJ historians_NNS is_VBZ more_RBR critical_JJ of_IN the_DT dislocations_NNS caused_VBN by_IN Jewish_JJ land_NN acquisition_NN ,_, and_CC concludes_VBZ that_IN it_PRP was_VBD not_RB always_RB fair_JJ ._. 
One_CD popular_JJ theory_NN compares_VBZ Zionism_NNP 's_POS imperative_JJ to_TO acquire_VB land_NN to_TO the_DT American_JJ idea_NN of_IN Manifest_NNP Destiny_NNP (_( that_IN it_PRP was_VBD the_DT United_NNP States_NNPS '_POS God-given_NNP right_NN to_TO rule_VB from_IN coast_NN to_TO coast_NN )_) ._. 
Others_NNS argue_VBP that_IN it_PRP was_VBD a_DT mistake_NN for_IN the_DT Jewish_NNP National_NNP Fund_NNP to_TO prohibit_VB non-_NN Jewish_JJ laborers_NNS from_IN the_DT newly_RB purchased_VBN lands_NNS ._. 
However_RB ,_, even_RB these_DT revisionists_NNS agree_VBP that_IN the_DT Jews_NNPS had_VBD not_RB intended_VBN to_TO evict_NN Muslims_NNPS from_IN Palestine_NNP ._. 

Israeli_JJ security_NN officials_NNS believed_VBN that_IN the_DT murdered_VBN real-estate_NN dealer_NN was_VBD executed_VBN by_IN plainclothes_NNS Palestinian_NNP Authority_NNP police_NN ._. 
The_DT Palestinian_NNP Authority_NNP 's_POS decision_NN to_TO make_VB the_DT sale_NN of_IN land_NN to_TO Jews_NNPS a_DT capital_NN crime_NN reflects_VBZ Palestinian_JJ frustration_NN with_IN Israeli_JJ land_NN use_NN ,_, specifically_RB the_DT creation_NN of_IN a_DT new_JJ Jewish_JJ neighborhood_NN now_RB under_IN construction_NN in_IN East_NNP Jerusalem_NNP ._. 

In_IN the_DT past_NN ,_, death_NN threats_NNS have_VBP done_VBN little_JJ to_TO deter_VB sales_NNS of_IN land_NN ._. 
According_VBG to_TO British_JJ land_NN records_NNS ,_, the_DT Jerusalem_NNP mufti_NN 's_POS 1934_CD decree_NN failed_VBD to_TO prevent_VB sales_NNS ._. 
But_CC that_DT decree_NN did_VBD not_RB have_VB the_DT power_NN of_IN civil_JJ law_NN behind_IN it_PRP ._. 
Nevertheless_RB ,_, the_DT incentives_NNS to_TO sell_VB at_IN the_DT market_NN price_NN are_VBP substantial_JJ ,_, and_CC if_IN the_DT threats_NNS create_VBP new_JJ scarcities_NNS ,_, higher_JJR prices_NNS will_MD probably_RB encourage_VB sellers_NNS to_TO unload_VB their_PRP$ land_NN ._. 

