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]
Zikim
זִיקִים زيكيم | |
|---|---|
Kibbutz Zikim in 1956 | |
Zikim Zikim | |
| Coordinates: 31°36′28″N 34°31′18″E | |
| Country | |
| District | Southern |
| Council | Hof Ashkelon |
| Affiliation | Kibbutz Movement |
| Founded | 1949 |
| Founded by | Romanian Hashomer HaTzair Members |
| Population (2019)[1] | 852 |
| Website | www.zikim.org.il |

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]
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]
Hof Ashkelon Regional Council | |
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| Kibbutzim |
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| Moshavim |
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| Community settlements |
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| Youth village |
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