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Abstract
This paper explores the attitudes of members of three moshavim located in
different parts of Israel regarding the reasons for the weakening of the
cooperation within their cooperative association and settlement. Major
reasons include government policy and the inability of the moshav
cooperative association to enforce the rules of cooperation. Major internal
causes are concerned with conflicting interests of different moshav members
due to economic changes, including changes in specific agricultural
branches, and issues concerning loans given to farmers. Reasons such as
production quotas, employment patterns, and education do not significantly
contribute to the weakening process, though there are differences in the
importance of these reasons between the three moshavim. Some differences
in attitudes were found on the basis of age, education level, and type of
agricultural branches. The overall transformation in the economic, social,
organizational, physical, and environmental attributes of the moshav raises a
major question regarding its future survival as a unique type of rural
cooperative settlement.