While living in Gedera, Hankin became friendly with local Arabs, helping him negotiate the purchase of land.

A year later, using funds provided by the Hovevei Zion associations in Vilnius and Kaunasa, he bought the land that later became the settlement and city of Hadera.

In 1908, when the Zionist organization sent Arthur Ruppin and set up the Palestine Land Development Company, Hankin joined.

In 1920, he concluded a deal with the Sursock family of Beirut for purchase of 60,000 dunams (60 km²) of land in the Jezreel Valley.

This tract became home to numerous new kibbutzim and other settlements, including Nahalal, Ginegar, Kfar Yehezkel, Geva, Ein Harod, Tel Yosef and Beit Alfa.

[3][4] The JNF demanded the existing population be relocated and as a result, the Palestinian Arab tenant farmers were evicted, with some receiving compensation the buyers were not required to pay under the new British Mandate law.