Baha'i lands in Israel and the reason Baha'i community in Palestine never expanded

The lands were bought during the first period. Although the geographical conditions were not favorable, the scope of the purchase was large, which indicates that political considerations and economic contingencies were the dominant factors behind the decision to acquire realty in this area.

Settlement was agricultural in nature, and the land was initially cultivated by tenant farmers. In the second period land sales were initiated, and in parallel an attempt was made to settle Bahai families on the tracts that were retained. During the last period nearly all of these lands were sold. One striking feature of the Bahai community throughout its history in Palestine was its small size, which never exceeded several hundred members. There were a number of reasons why the community in Palestine never expanded: historical events not directly related to the sect, a hostile administration, internal struggles within the sect, and a leadership that consciously limited demographic development.

(The Land that became Israel : studies in historical geography by Ruth Kark - 1990)

https://archive.org/details/landthatbecameis0000unse