Granott (Granovsky), Abraham

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GRANOTT (Granovsky), ABRAHAM

GRANOTT (Granovsky ), ABRAHAM (1890–1962), Israeli economist, head of the *Jewish National Fund. Born in Folesti, Bessarabia, Granott was appointed secretary of the jnf in 1919. After the transfer of the jnf Head Office to Jerusalem in 1922, Granott settled in that city, becoming the Fund's managing director, chairman of its board of directors (1945), and president (1960). His plan for a joint land authority of the jnf and the State of Israel served as the basis for the land legislation passed by the *Knesset in 1960. In 1948 Granott was cofounder and chairman of the Progressive Party (see *Independent Liberal Party) and was elected to the first Knesset in 1949, serving as chairman of its finance committee. His main contribution to Israel's economy consisted of establishing the principles for a progressive agrarian policy, which he formulated in a number of works such as Land System in Palestine (1952) and Agrarian Reform and the Record of Israel (1956). For a full bibliography of Granott's writings (in Hebrew, English, French, Spanish, German, etc.) up to 1951, see the appendix to his book Be-Hitnahel Am (1951).

bibliography:

Keren Kayemeth Leisrael, Abraham Granott (Heb., 1962); Y. Ronen (ed.), Kalkalat Yisrael Halakhah le-Ma'aseh (1963), 1–3.

[Theodore Hatalgui]

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