Critical Essay Sample on "Yemenites" by Shmuel Yavnieli

Introduction

The "Yemenites" documentary history was written by Shmuel Yavnieli, who was a labor Zionist activist sent to Yemen in 1911 to recruit works in the upcoming Palestine agricultural settlements. Yavnieli accompanied them since it was difficult for the Yemenites to settle in Palestine because the locals or the predominantly Ashkenazi believed they were more veteran settlers in the agricultural colonies. In this regard, he helped them avoid relying on Arab workers for survival and adapting to the new settlements. Bringing the Yemenites to Palestine was a realization of the ideal of the ingathering of the exiles and a goal of the labor Zionist on the conquest of labor.

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The salient issues and difficulties experienced by Yemenites while settling in the agricultural lands was imminent and avoidable to specific regard. This article tries to dissect the challenges experienced by the Yemenites in the Palestine colonies during their absorption phase. These challenges include:

Discrimination

There was a developing rift and tension between the Yemenite settlers and the predominantly Ashkenazi, who felt they were more of owners and natives that the newcomers. This rift led to discrimination even on the kind of jobs that the Yemenites settlers would get in the farms because of bad blood between them. There was a distinction in relationships between an Arab and a farmer and that of a Yemenite worker and a farmer. The connection was unstable and unpredictable between the Farmers and a Yemenite worker, where else there was a strong bond of mutual trust, respect, and friendship between the farmer and the Arabs with various financial deals between them. This kind of discrimination was imminent simply because the natives held the Yemenites in low regard. In Rishon Le Tsion, some of the Yemenite workers were allowed to work in the wine cellar while others worked in the orange groves, but they could intentionally be kept off the vineyards by the farmers, or very little work was offered to them. In Rehovot, Hadera, and Petach-Tikva, the Yemenites could only be allowed to do the spadework because that's what they were believed to be best in. in Zikhron Ya'akov, a few of the Yemenite workers worked for the Jewish Colonization Association (JCA) in their orchard farms while some would do occasional jobs in the agricultural colonies. In JCA, the Yemenite workers do not do any cultivation of field crops. In Yavniel, the JCA employs the Yemenite workers in selected land measuring works and some other jobs. In other settlements in Galilee, surprisingly, the Yemenites were intentionally shut out of the farms by the owners. Unlike the other immigrants from the north, the immigrants from Yemen were discriminated against and treated unfairly.

Inability to Adapt

The newly migrated Yemenite has just arrived, and the European way of farming used by the local farmer was a new method used in agriculture, unlike their traditional practices. The plowshare, which was the use of a horse to plow, was a challenge to the Yemenites because they had had no encounters with horses. The European methods of farming required physical adjustments, psychological adaptations, a sense of responsibility as well as some individual agility which the Yemenites lacked. In Rehovot and Rishon Le-Tsion, Yemenites workers have been in the colonies for more than four years, yet they are not comfortable working with the horses simply because it took them time to adapt to the new farming methods. This incapability prevented them from undertaking any agricultural work and wagoneer in Galilee. In Rehovot, Hadera, and Petach-Tikva, the Yemenites could only take over the spadework because of their inability to adjust to the new methods. However, some Yemenites have adapted to new ways of life despite the hurdles. In Rishon Le-Tsion, many of the Yemenites work in the wine cellar and are competitive enough in the machinery operation. In Jaffa and Hadera, some adapted to the industrial production and are working in the cement and tile industry.

Trust

Agriculture and wagoneer require some complex and well-structured long-term relationship between the employer and the laborer which includes monthly work; tending to the animals, yearly work or five-year plan which involves harvesting and threshing which is done on contractual basis and according to the customs of the land where the workers are paid with wheat, rice or other products as agreed. These are stipulations that can only be between two parties that know and understand each other quite well and have maintained a strong bond over the years. This bond did not exist between the farmer and the Yemenite worker; therefore, there was no mutual trust and respect between them. Unfortunately, the relationship between the Yemenite worker and farmers was built on mistrust and thus is unstable and unpredictable. As a result of this mistrust, the farmer is unwilling to sign meaningful and long-term contracts with the Yemenite worker, unlike with the Arabs who had a long term relationship built under respect and understanding of each other. The local farmer, likewise, is ready to negotiate any financial deals but could not get in a financial negotiation with the Yemenites simply because they did not trust them.

Disunity

The immigrants were highly disunited, and even their numbers had exponentially increased, they failed to unite as one and have a collective voice to fight for their place in their new environment. In Galilee, even though there was a significant number of Jewish farmers, they did not have any Jewish sharecropper. Moreover, in Judea, despite the various Jewish farmer in the locality, there was no formation of a Jewish coachmen association within the Jewish farmers to help in airing their matters as immigrants. The disunity made it difficult for the Yemenites to settle and grow in Palestine, unlike the Ashkenazi workers who had generally grown throughout the country.

Mass Migration

While the revival of the Aliyah among the Yemenite Jews is a significant step in the right direction, the revival may bring about a considerable increment in the number of migrants to the country, which will consequently overwhelm the number in the country. This uncontrolled migration and over-migration of the Yemenite workers to Palestine will aggravate the locals. Equally, the immigration of Yemenites will disrupt the livelihood of the locals, create an overburden on the resources, and change their norms and culture, which will eventually give birth to more rift, hatred, and discrimination towards the immigrants.

Need to Support the Immigrants

The author of this article points out that there is a need to support the settlement of immigrants in Israel safely and in a manner that they adapt to the new lifestyles and avoid a crisis between them and the local farmers. He acknowledges that even though the immigrants were initially assisted and supported through the providence of temporary arrangements, there is a need to provide more to avoid conflicts. To that regard, the author suggests that the Yemenite worker should be supported further by introducing them to field crops, cattle rearing, advanced equipment without the dependence on the beast of burden, wagoneer in preparation for the conquest of land when the time for distribution and allocation farming parcels arrives. In his recommendation, the author believes that the immigrants from Yemen should be molded like the ones from the north to create a new type of Jew that tills the land skillfully and subsists on what he and his family reproduce.