Beit Shikma
Encyclopedia
Beit Shikma is a moshav
in southern Israel
. Located near Ashkelon
, it falls under the jurisdiction of Hof Ashkelon Regional Council
. In 2006 it had a population of 676.
The moshav was founded in 1950 by immigrants
from Libya
and Morocco
. Built on the lands of the depopulated Arab village of al-Jiyya
, it was named after the large sycamore fig trees in the area.
Moshav
Moshav is a type of Israeli town or settlement, in particular a type of cooperative agricultural community of individual farms pioneered by the Labour Zionists during the second aliyah...
in southern Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
. Located near Ashkelon
Ashkelon
Ashkelon is a coastal city in the South District of Israel on the Mediterranean coast, south of Tel Aviv, and north of the border with the Gaza Strip. The ancient seaport of Ashkelon dates back to the Neolithic Age...
, it falls under the jurisdiction of Hof Ashkelon Regional Council
Hof Ashkelon Regional Council
Hof Ashkelon Regional Council is a regional council in the Southern District of Israel.The council is bordered to the north by Be'er Tuvia Regional Council, to the east by the Be'er Tuvia, Lakhish, Shafir and Yoav Regional Councils, to the south by Sha'ar HaNegev Regional Council and the Gaza...
. In 2006 it had a population of 676.
The moshav was founded in 1950 by immigrants
Aliyah
Aliyah is the immigration of Jews to the Land of Israel . It is a basic tenet of Zionist ideology. The opposite action, emigration from Israel, is referred to as yerida . The return to the Holy Land has been a Jewish aspiration since the Babylonian exile...
from Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
and Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
. Built on the lands of the depopulated Arab village of al-Jiyya
Al-Jiyya
al-Jiyya was a Palestinian village that was depopulated during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. Located 19 kilometers northeast of Gaza City, according to a 1945 census, the village had a population of 1,230...
, it was named after the large sycamore fig trees in the area.