The Doctrine of Beitar

23 - It is much more complex. Mass settlement, or even just large-scale settlement, must strike roots, economically, primarily—in one of the two main sectors of the economy: in industry or in agriculture. In other words, in a backward and neglected country, the settler must create new industrial enterprises at an accelerated tempo, and on the other hand—expand the settled land areas and introduce (especially) intensive methods in agriculture.

Now, these matters depend, in almost all respects, on the political regime. Without customs protection (a proper tariff on foreign produce and the import of machinery and raw materials without customs duty), the development of local industry is inconceivable at all. Likewise—and to an even greater extent—for the purpose of the rapid absorption of immigrants into agriculture, it is necessary, first and foremost, to have assistance from the government through appropriate legislation and administration: land reform, parcellation, price controls. In a neglected country in need of loans, like the Land of Israel, all of this requires initial and preliminary aid: it is necessary to survey the area of uncultivated land (in Western Eretz-Israel this is more than two-thirds of the entire land area), in order to determine, at least approximately, what percentage of it can be turned into cultivated fields and annexed—through clearing, artificial fertilization, digging wells, rainwater collection, and various irrigation methods in general—and what are the approximate sums of money required for these works from one side and the other.

These are the main, but not the only, ways in which the state can help (or hinder) settlement. A huge role is placed here on cooperation. Countries that wish to encourage immigration tend to exempt immigrants in the first years of settlement from all tax payments for the new enterprises being established. It is possible that the governing state will take an even broader view on the course of settlement: of particular importance here are the ports, the railway network, the roads...

In all these respects, the Zionist settlement was placed in the most unfavorable conditions; the Government, which committed according to the Mandate "to place the country under such political and economic conditions..."