read this - right on the money!, page-40

up until the war of independence in 1948 - all the land owned owned by Jews in 'palestine' was purchased from absentee Arab landowners residing mainly in Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, who were quite happy to sell mosquito infested swampland to Jews for ten times what it was worth.... there were very few Arab farmers who were landowners, the vast majority being tenant farmers who were dudded by the same Arab absentee landowners and almost constantly raided and sponged upon by other Arab compatriots....

ah, the story's too long....