Page 6 - C.A.L.L. #39 - Spring 2015
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Bastions of the left, kibbutzim are on front lines of war
Despite all the changes they’ve been through, kibbutzim still account for a
high share of combat soldiers and are big champions of mutual aid.
By Judy Maltz
Haaretz, Jul. 30, 2014
Barely two percent of Israelis live on displaced by the hostilities, opening
kibbutzim, but seven of the 53 soldiers their gates in the north to families who
killed in Operation Protective Edge – have been forced to evacuate the south,
more than 13 percent – hail from these while welcoming soldiers in the south
close-knit, collective communities that who are stationed nearby and are in dire
once epitomized the Israeli pioneering need of rest and respite.
spirit.
To paraphrase Mark Twain, rumors of
Not only have the kibbutzim suffered a the death of the kibbutz movement, not
disproportionate share of the casualties to mention its spirit, appear to have
in this war, but, with many of them been greatly exaggerated. The
located along Israel’s border with the movement was originally founded over
Gaza Strip, they are also among the 40 years before the establishment of
the State of Israel in 1948, by young
Jews who hailed mostly from Eastern
European countries. These idealistic
pioneers sought to reclaim what they
saw as their ancient homeland and to
forge a new life there. Despite
overwhelming physical, economic and
other hardships throughout the years,
these typically socialist-oriented rural,
A soldier on patrol near Kibbutz Kissufim, collective communities have played a
along the border with Gaza. major role in the development of
modern-day Israel.
most vulnerable to threats from Hamas
rockets and tunnels. In the last 12 days, To be sure, the kibbutzim have lost the
Gaza militants have infiltrated Israel dominant status they once enjoyed in
through tunnels four times, emerging Israeli society; indeed, in the last
next to kibbutzim in three of those elections, for the first time ever, not
incidents. one representative of the movement
won a seat in the Knesset. But that
This hasn’t prevented the kibbutzim doesn’t mean it doesn’t continue to wield
from contributing – also a disproportionate influence in Israeli
disproportionately, perhaps – to the life.
national common good. Of late they have
stood at the forefront of efforts to
provide relief to Israelis temporarily
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