Zikim
Zikim
| |
|---|---|
 Kibbutz Zikim in 1956 | |
  Zikim  Zikim | |
| Coordinates: 31°36′28.44″N 34°31′18.47″E / 31.6079000°N 34.5217972°E | |
| Country |  Israel |
| District | Southern |
| Council | Hof Ashkelon |
| Affiliation | Kibbutz Movement |
| Founded | 1949 |
| Founded by | Romanian Hashomer Hatzair members |
| Population (2022)[1] | 918 |
| Website | www.zikim.org.il |
Zikim (Template:Lang-he-n) is a kibbutz in southern Israel. Located in the northern Negev desert, it falls under the jurisdiction of Hof Ashkelon Regional Council. In 2022 it had a population of 918.[1]
History
The kibbutz was established in 1949 on land that had belonged to the depopulated Palestinian village of Hiribya,[2] by a group of young Romanian Jews who belonged to Hashomer Hatzair before their arrival in Mandatory Palestine in 1947.[citation needed]
At that time, Jewish settlement in the Negev was very sparse, and each new location was considered to be a "point of light" (zik) in the wilderness. Michael Har-Segor, later an Israeli historian, came up with the name while imprisoned in Romania for his activity in Hashomer Hatzair. He says he translated a quote from Pushkin into Hebrew: "From sparks shall come a flame." [3]
Zikim attracted members of Hashomer Hatzair from around the world, most recently from South America. British actor Bob Hoskins, although not Jewish, worked as a volunteer in Zikim in 1967.[4]
In 2006 a Qassam rocket fired from northern Gaza hit a mattress factory in Zikim. Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for the rocket attack.[5] In July 2014, five armed Palestinians attempted to cross into Israel via the beach at Kibbutz Zikim. They were killed by IDF gunfire.[6]
Economy
The main crops are mango and avocado. Zikim also operates one of Israel's largest dairy farms. The main industrial product is polyurethane, produced by the kibbutz factory, Polyrit.[7]
Notable residents
References
- ^ a b "Regional Statistics". Israel Central Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
- ^ Khalidi, Walid (1992). All That Remains: The Palestinian Villages Occupied and Depopulated by Israel in 1948. Washington D.C.: Institute for Palestine Studies. p. 102. ISBN 0-88728-224-5.
- ^ Past Perfect Haaretz; accessed 20 May 2018.
- ^ Yaakov, Yifa (May 1, 2014). "Bob Hoskins, kibbutz volunteer". The Times of Israel. Associated Press. Retrieved April 18, 2019.
- ^ Katz, Yaakov (April 6, 2006). "Kassam hits factory in Kibbutz Zikim". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved April 18, 2019.
- ^ Lappin, Yaakov (July 8, 2014). "WATCH: IDF kills 5 Hamas terrorists attempting to infiltrate from the sea". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved April 18, 2019.
- ^ "Contact". Polyrit. Polyrit. Retrieved April 18, 2019.
External links
- Official website (in Hebrew)