רכישת הקרקעות בגוש עציון ומדרום לבית-לחם (1940-1948)

At the outbreak of the 1948 war of Independence the Jewish National Fund (JNF) owned some 8400 dunams of land in Gush Etzion, and south of Bethlehem. Of that land, 91% had been bought from Jews, the remainder from Arab and German owners. Efforts to purchase land between the two areas and create a large continuous parcel of JNF land were not successful. The activity of the JNF in that region provides an example of its method of operation during the period when land regulations promulgated by the British were in force, particularly those of early 1940 which prohibited the purchase of land in certain areas. The need to acquire land in the vicinity of Jerusalem, and the fear that Jewish owners would be dislocated, motivated the JNF; the fact that the agricultural and settlement potential of Gush Etzion was poor, was not a significant factor in the JNF decisions. It was involved more in 'ransoming' than in 'redeeming' the land; but in the long run, the 'ransom' was a 'redemption' as well.