Zikim

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This article is about the Israeli kibbutz. For the Israel Defense Forces base nearby, see Bahad 4.
Zikim
זִיקִים‎
زيكيم
Kibbutz Zikim in 1956
Kibbutz Zikim in 1956
Zikim is located in Ashkelon region of Israel
Zikim
Zikim
Coordinates: 31°36′28″N 34°31′18″E / 31.60778°N 34.52167°E / 31.60778; 34.52167Coordinates: 31°36′28″N 34°31′18″E / 31.60778°N 34.52167°E / 31.60778; 34.52167
Country Israel
DistrictSouthern
CouncilHof Ashkelon
AffiliationKibbutz Movement
Founded1949
Founded byRomanian Hashomer HaTzair Members
Population
 (2019)[1]
852
Websitewww.zikim.org.il
Old house on the hill above the kibbutz

Zikim (Hebrew: זִיקִים‎) is a kibbutz in southern Israel. Located in the northern Negev desert, it falls under the jurisdiction of Hof Ashkelon Regional Council. In 2019 it had a population of 852.[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[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b "Population in the Localities 2019" (XLS). Israel Central Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 16 August 2020.
  2. ^ 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.
  3. ^ Past Perfect Haaretz; accessed 20 May 2018.
  4. ^ Yaakov, Yifa (May 1, 2014). "Bob Hoskins, kibbutz volunteer". The Times of Israel. Associated Press. Retrieved April 18, 2019.
  5. ^ Katz, Yaakov (April 6, 2006). "Kassam hits factory in Kibbutz Zikim". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved April 18, 2019.
  6. ^ Lappin, Yaakov (July 8, 2014). "WATCH: IDF kills 5 Hamas terrorists attempting to infiltrate from the sea". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved April 18, 2019.
  7. ^ "Contact". Polyron. Polyrit. Retrieved April 18, 2019.

External links[]

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