Zikim

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]

This article is about the Israeli kibbutz. For the Israel Defense Forces base nearby, see Bahad 4.
Zikim

זִיקִים‎
زيكيم
Kibbutz Zikim in 1956
Zikim
Zikim
Coordinates: 31°36′28″N 34°31′18″E
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

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.

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. "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". Polyrit. Polyrit. Retrieved April 18, 2019.
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