Misplaced Pages

#446553

82-629: The establishment of the Israel Atomic Energy Commission was announced on 13 June 1952 by Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion . The prime minister appointed Professor Ernst David Bergmann to be its first director-general. Initially the committee was housed in temporary structures near Rehovot and is now located in Ramat Aviv . It oversaw the establishment of the Soreq Nuclear Research Center ,

164-418: A book about his experiences. We were happy enough working on the land, but we knew more and more certainly that the ways of the old settlements were not for us. This was not the way we hoped to settle the country—this old way with Jews on top and Arabs working for them; anyway, we thought that there shouldn't be employers and employed at all. There must be a better way. Though Baratz and others wanted to farm

246-681: A chance to expand through new members and inexpensive labour, but it also meant that Ashkenazi kibbutzim would have to adapt to Jews whose background was far different from their own. Until the 1950s, nearly all kibbutzniks were from Eastern Europe, culturally different from the Jews of Morocco , Tunisia , and Iraq . Many kibbutzim hired Mizrahi Jews as labourers but were less inclined to grant them membership. Ideological disputes were also widespread, leading to painful splits, sometimes even of individual kibbutzim, and to polarisation and animosity among members. Israel had been initially recognized by both

328-479: A middle-class lifestyle. With time, the kibbutz members' sense of identification with the kibbutz and its goals decreased. This process originated from personal frustrations among the kibbutz members as a result of internal processes, from the growing stratification and inequality due to the growth of capitalistic practices, and a generation born and raised in the kibbutzim that did not necessarily inherit their parents’ fiery ideological and motivational drive to “settle

410-457: A more prominent military role. Rifles were purchased or manufactured and kibbutz members drilled and practiced shooting. Yigal Allon , an Israeli soldier and statesman, explained the role of kibbutzim in the military activities of the Yishuv : The planning and development of pioneering Zionist were from the start at least partly determined by politico-strategic needs. The choice of the location of

492-444: A percentage of their reparations. Reparations that were turned over to the collective were used for building expansion and even recreational activities. The split between different factions within the kibbutz movement evolved between 1948 and 1954, when finally three kibbutz federations emerged, each aligned to a different Labour party : Ihud with Mapai , Meuhad with Ahdut HaAvoda , and Artzi with Mapam . Kibbutzniks enjoyed

574-457: A role in defining the borders of the Jewish state-to-be. By the late 1930s, when it appeared that Palestine would be partitioned between Arabs and Jews, kibbutzim were established in outlying areas to ensure that the land would be incorporated into the Jewish state. In 1946, on the day after Yom Kippur , eleven new "Tower and Stockade" kibbutzim were hurriedly established in the northern part of

656-499: A rotating prime ministership – Shimon Peres took the first two years, and was replaced by Shamir midway through the Knesset term. Although the 1988 elections produced another national unity government, Shamir was able to take the role alone. Peres made an abortive bid to form a left-wing government in 1990, but failed, leaving Shamir in power until 1992. Rabin became prime minister for the second time when he led Labour to victory in

738-562: A steady and gradual improvement in their standard of living in the first few decades after independence. In the 1960s, the kibbutzim standard of living improved faster than Israel's general population. Most kibbutz swimming pools date from the 1960s. Kibbutzim also continued to play an outsize role in Israel's defence apparatus. In the 1950s and 1960s many kibbutzim were in fact founded by an Israel Defense Forces group called Nahal . Many of these 1950s and 1960s Nahal kibbutzim were founded on

820-453: A sub-component of the Israeli economic crisis of the 1980s ). During the 1980s, following the peak of the kibbutzim crisis, many people started leaving their kibbutzim, and there was considerable tension due to the economic situation. In order to cope with the situation, some kibbutzim began to change in various ways. The changes that occurred could be divided into three main types: Since

902-491: A white tablecloth and fine food and work was not done on Saturday if it could be avoided. Only later did some kibbutzim adopt Yom Kippur as the day to discuss fears for the future of the kibbutz. Kibbutzim also had collective Bar and Bat Mitzvahs for their children. Kibbutznikim did not pray three times a day like their parents and grandparents, but would mark holidays like Shavuot , Sukkot , and Passover with dances, meals, and celebrations. One Jewish holiday, Tu BiShvat ,

SECTION 10

#1732771997447

984-530: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Prime Minister of Israel The prime minister of Israel ( Hebrew : רֹאשׁ הַמֶּמְשָׁלָה , romanized :  Rosh HaMemshala , lit.   'Head of the Government';, Hebrew acronym : רה״מ ‎; Arabic : رئيس الحكومة , Ra'īs al-Ḥukūma ) is the head of government and chief executive of the State of Israel . Israel

1066-516: Is a parliamentary republic with a president as the head of state . The president's powers are largely ceremonial, while the prime minister holds the executive power. The official residence of the prime minister, Beit Aghion , is in Jerusalem . The current prime minister is Benjamin Netanyahu of Likud , the ninth person to hold the position (excluding caretakers). Following an election,

1148-479: Is both de jure and de facto chief executive. This is because Basic Law: The Government explicitly vests executive power in the Government , of which the prime minister is the leader. In most other parliamentary republics, the president is at least nominal chief executive, while usually required by convention to act on the advice of the cabinet. The office of Prime Minister came into existence on 14 May 1948,

1230-514: Is crushed, the legs fail, the head hurts, the sun burns and weakens," wrote one of the pioneers. At times, half of the kibbutz members could not report for work and many left. Despite the difficulties, by 1914, Degania had fifty members. Other kibbutzim were founded around the Sea of Galilee and the nearby Jezreel Valley . The fall of the Ottoman Empire at the end of World War I , followed by

1312-432: Is temporarily incapacitated rather than dies (as was the case following Ariel Sharon's stroke in early 2006), power is transferred to the acting prime minister , until the prime minister recovers (Ehud Olmert took over from Sharon), for up to 100 days. If the prime minister is declared permanently incapacitated, or that period expires, the president of Israel oversees the process of assembling a new governing coalition, and in

1394-439: Is usually the leader of the largest party in the governing coalition. Since it all but impossible for one party to win a majority in the Knesset, all Israeli governments have been coalitions between two or more parties. Between 1996 and 2001, the prime minister was directly elected, separately from the Knesset. The prime minister's position is greatly enhanced compared to his counterparts in other parliamentary republics because he

1476-519: The 1992 elections . After his assassination on 4 November 1995, Peres took over as prime minister. During the thirteenth Knesset (1992–1996) it was decided to hold a separate ballot for prime minister modeled after American presidential elections . This system was instituted in part because the Israeli electoral system makes it all but impossible for one party to win a majority. While only two parties—Mapai/Labour and Likud—had ever led governments,

1558-607: The 2013 election , the Likud Yisrael Beiteinu alliance emerged as the largest faction. After forming a coalition, Netanyahu secured his third prime ministership. In 2015 , Netanyahu managed to stay in power. Multiple disagreements with his coalition members led to the 2019–2022 Israeli political crisis . In 2021, Naftali Bennett became prime minister. He was succeeded in July 2022 by his coalition partner, Yair Lapid . In December 2022, Benjamin Netanyahu returned to

1640-521: The Second Aliyah planned to become farmers; almost the sole career available in the agrarian economy of Ottoman Palestine. The first kibbutz was Degania Alef , founded in 1910. Some founders of the Kibbutz movement in Israel were influenced by the ideals of Ancient Sparta , particularly in education and communal living. Yosef Baratz , one of the pioneers of the kibbutz movement, wrote

1722-662: The Slánský trial in which an envoy of Hashomer Hatzair in Prague was tried. Another controversy involved the Reparations Agreement between Israel and West Germany . Should kibbutz members turn over income that was the product of a very personal loss? If Holocaust survivors were allowed to keep their reparation money, what would that mean for the principle of equality? Eventually, many kibbutzim made this one concession to inequality by letting Holocaust survivors keep all or

SECTION 20

#1732771997447

1804-674: The Syrian tank advance into the Galilee with Molotov cocktails . Maagan Michael manufactured the bullets for the Sten guns that won the war. Maagan Michael's clandestine ammunition factory was later separated from the kibbutz and grew into Israel Military Industries . The establishment of Israel and the flood of Jewish refugees from Europe and the Arab world presented challenges and opportunities for kibbutzim. The immigrant tide offered kibbutzim

1886-758: The United States and the Soviet Union . For the first three years of its existence, Israel was in the Non-Aligned Movement , but David Ben-Gurion gradually began to take sides with the West . The question of which side of the Cold War Israel should choose created fissures in the kibbutz movement. Dining halls segregated according to politics and a few kibbutzim even had Marxist members leave. The disillusionment particularly set in after

1968-417: The election . However, the new system again appeared to have failed; although Barak's One Israel alliance (an alliance of Labour, Gesher , and Meimad ) won more votes than any other party in the Knesset election, they garnered only 26 seats, the lowest ever by a winning party or alliance. Barak needed to form a coalition with six smaller parties to form a government. In early 2001, Barak resigned following

2050-448: The elections , just days before he formed a government on 4 May 2006, becoming the official prime minister. Aside from the position of Acting Prime Minister, there are also vice prime ministers and deputy prime ministers. The interim prime minister ( Hebrew : ראש הממשלה בפועל , Rosh HaMemshala Ba-foal lit. "prime minister de facto") is appointed by the government if the incumbent is dead or permanently incapacitated, or if his tenure

2132-608: The "birthday of the trees" was substantially revived by kibbutzim. All in all, holidays with some kind of agricultural component, like Passover and Sukkot, were the most significant for kibbutzim. Religious kibbutzim were established in clusters before the establishment of the State, creating the Religious Kibbutz Movement . The first religious kibbutz was Ein Tzurim , founded in 1946. Arab opposition increased as

2214-429: The "collaborative model" ( הזרם השיתופי ). There are now three kibbutz compensation models. 1) The traditional collective kibbutz/kibbutz shitufi , in which members are compensated equally, regardless of what work each member does; 2) the mixed model kibbutz/kibbutz meshulav , in which each member is given a small percentage of his or their salary along with a basic component given equally to all kibbutz members; and 3)

2296-558: The "peace camp". The party paper Al HaMishmar (On the Watch) presented this view. Kibbutzim were run as collective enterprises within Israel's partly free market system. Internally kibbutzim also practiced active democracy, with elections held for kibbutz functions and full participation in national elections in which the members generally voted along the lines of the kibbutz movement ideology. Jewish religious practices were banned or discouraged in many far left kibbutzim. Kibbutzim were not

2378-597: The 1917 Balfour Declaration and the wave of Jewish settlers to Palestine began to tilt the demographic balance of the area. Arabs responded with bloody riots in Jerusalem in 1920 , Jaffa in 1921 and in Hebron in 1929 . In the late 1930s, Arab–Jewish violence became virtually constant; the 1936–39 Arab revolt in Palestine is also known as the "Great Uprising" in Palestinian historiography. Kibbutzim began to assume

2460-403: The 1930s and 1940s. In 1922, there were 700 people living on kibbutzim in Palestine. By 1927, the number had risen to 2,000. When World War II erupted, 24,105 people were living on 79 kibbutzim, comprising 5% of the Jewish population of Mandate Palestine. In 1950, the figures went up to 65,000, accounting for 7.5% of the population. In 1989, the kibbutz population peaked at 129,000. By 2010,

2542-654: The Institute for the Research of the Kibbutz and the Cooperative Idea believes that by the end of 2012, there will be more kibbutzim switching to some alternative model. First Aliyah immigrants were largely religious, but those of the Second Aliyah were mainly secular. A Jewish work ethic thus replaced religious practice. Berl Katznelson , a Labor Zionist leader articulated this when he said "Everywhere

Israel Atomic Energy Commission - Misplaced Pages Continue

2624-524: The Jewish labourer goes, the divine presence goes with him." The first kibbutzim were founded in the upper Jordan Valley , the Jezreel Valley and the Sharon coastal plain . The land was available for purchase because it was marshy and malaria-infested. The Zionists believed that the Arab population would be grateful for the economic benefits that developing the land would bring. Their approach

2706-643: The Nations"). The USSR voted at the UN for establishment of Israel. Stalin became hostile to Israel after it became apparent that Israel would not turn communist, so the USSR began serving diplomatic and military interests of various nations in the Arab world . This caused major crises and mass exit in both Kibbutz Meuchad and Kibbutz Artzi kibbutzim, especially after the 1952 Rudolf Slánský Prague show trials in which most of

2788-560: The Negev to give Israel a better claim to this arid, but strategically important, region. The Marxist faction of the kibbutz movement, Kibbutz Artzi, favoured a one-state solution over partition, but advocated free Jewish immigration, which the Arabs opposed. Kibbutzniks fought in the 1948 Arab–Israeli War , emerging from the conflict with enhanced prestige in the nascent State of Israel. Members of Kibbutz Degania were instrumental in stopping

2870-474: The accused and executed party functionaries were Jews and the 1953 Doctors' plot in Moscow of mostly Jews. Nonetheless many kibbutzim cancelled Purim celebrations when Stalin collapsed on March 1, 1953. Despite Communist atrocities and increasing state antisemitism in the USSR and its satellites many in the far left kibbutz movement, like Hashomer Hatzair (The Young Guard) viewed Stalin with awe and leader of

2952-457: The arrival of the British, brought with it benefits for the Jewish community of Palestine and its kibbutzim. The Ottoman authorities had made immigration to Palestine difficult and restricted land purchases. Rising antisemitism forced many Jews to flee Eastern Europe. To escape the pogroms , tens of thousands of Russian Jews immigrated to Palestine in the early 1920s, in a wave of immigration that

3034-482: The common treasury. If a member received a gift in services—like a visit to a relative or a trip abroad paid for by a parent—there could be arguments at members' meetings about the propriety of accepting such a gift. Up until recently, members ate meals together in the communal dining hall. This was seen as an important aspect of communal life. When the first children were born at the kibbutz there were inevitably some ethical dilemmas that needed to be solved. One of these

3116-791: The construction of which started in 1958 and the Negev Nuclear Research Center that began construction in late 1959. The IAEC advises the government of Israel in areas of nuclear policy and in setting priorities in nuclear research and development. The commission implements governmental policies and represents Israel in international organizations in the nuclear field, such as the International Atomic Energy Agency . The IAEC maintains relationships with relevant national authorities of other countries. This article about government in Israel

3198-623: The customary Hebrew word for husband ba'ali (lit. "my master"). The children slept in children's houses and visited their parents only a few hours a day. There were also differences in religion. Kibbutz Artzi and United Kibbutz Movement kibbutzim were secular , even staunchly atheistic , proudly trying to be " monasteries without God". Although most mainstream kibbutznikim also disdained the Orthodox Judaism of their parents, they wanted their new communities to have Jewish characteristics nonetheless. Friday nights were still Shabbat with

3280-662: The date of the Declaration of the Establishment of the State of Israel , when the provisional government was created. David Ben-Gurion , leader of Mapai and head of the Jewish Agency , became Israel's first prime minister. The position became permanent on 8 March 1949, when the first government was formed. Ben-Gurion retained his role until late 1953, when he resigned to settle in the Kibbutz of Sde Boker . He

3362-564: The end of the kibbutz concept. Among the communities that have recently officially ceased being kibbutzim are Megiddo in the Jezreel Valley, HagGoshrim in the Upper Galilee, Beyt Nir in the Negev, etc. These processes have created the "renewing kibbutz" ( הקיבוץ המתחדש )—a kibbutz settlement pattern not fully based on the original values of the kibbutz. Kibbutzim continuing under the original kibbutz values are associated with

Israel Atomic Energy Commission - Misplaced Pages Continue

3444-569: The first prime minister not to be a member of either Labour or Likud (or their predecessors). However, he suffered a stroke in January 2006, in the midst of election season, leading Ehud Olmert to become acting prime minister in the weeks leading to the elections. He was voted by the cabinet to be interim prime minister just after the 2006 elections , when Sharon had reached 100 days of incapacitation. He thus became Israel's third interim prime minister, only days before forming his own new government as

3526-428: The heavens.... At the center of our camp a fire burns, and under the weight of the hora the earth groans a rhythmic groan, accompanied by wild songs". Kibbutzim founded in the 1920s tended to be larger than the kibbutzim like Degania that were founded prior to World War I. Degania had had twelve members at its founding. Eyn Harod , founded only a decade later, began with 215 members. Kibbutzim grew and flourished in

3608-615: The incumbent's office and will be standing in for him for up to 100 consecutive days, while the incumbent is in office. Legally, the "100 consecutive days" limit, in the language of the law, only stipulates that the incumbent then is deemed to be permanently incapacitated and that the limited time for an acting prime minister to act in the incumbent's office is over. In 2006, Ehud Olmert, after standing in for Prime Minister Sharon for 100 consecutive days, as acting prime minister, did not automatically assume office as an interim prime minister. The government voted to appoint him, and in addition, he

3690-419: The interim and acting prime ministers' authorities are identical to those of a prime minister, with the exception of not having the authority to dissolve the Knesset. An 'interim government' ( Hebrew : ממשלת מעבר , Memshelet Ma'avar lit. "transitional government") is the same government, having been changed in their legal status, after the death, resignation, permanent incapacitation, or criminal conviction of

3772-596: The kibbutzim are organised in the secular Kibbutz Movement with some 230 kibbutzim, the Religious Kibbutz Movement with 16 kibbutzim and the much smaller religious Poalei Agudat Yisrael with two kibbutzim, all part of the wider communal settlement movement . The kibbutzim were founded by members of the Bilu movement who emigrated to Palestine . Like the members of the First Aliyah (1881-1903) who came before them and established agricultural villages, most members of

3854-470: The land themselves, becoming independent farmers was not a realistic option in 1909. As Arthur Ruppin , a proponent of Jewish agricultural colonization of the Trans-Jordan, would later say, "The question was not whether group settlement was preferable to individual settlement; it was rather one of either group settlement or no settlement at all." Ottoman Palestine was a harsh environment. The Galilee

3936-410: The land”. Over the years, some kibbutz members established professional careers outside the kibbutz, accumulating power, privileges and prestige. The balance between individual values and values of the kibbutz began to tip, and work motivation was affected. An emphasis was placed on social compensation to encourage productivity. These processes occurred in parallel with a severe economic crisis (itself

4018-477: The large number of parties or factions in a typical Knesset usually prevents one party from winning the 61 seats needed for a majority. In 1996, when the first such election took place, the outcome was a surprise win for Benjamin Netanyahu after election polls predicted that Peres was the winner. However, in the Knesset election held at the same time, Labour won more votes than any other party (27%). Thus Netanyahu, despite his theoretical position of power, needed

4100-733: The left-wing Mapam party. In 1928, Degania and other small kibbutzim formed Hever Hakvutzot ("The Kvutzot Association"). Kvutzot were deliberately small, not exceeding 200 members, in the belief that this was imperative for maintaining trust. Kvutzot did not have youth-group affiliations in Europe. Kibbutzim affiliated with the United Kibbutz Movement took in as many members as they could. Givat Brenner eventually came to have more than 1,500 members. Artzi kibbutzim were also more devoted to gender equality than other kibbutzim. Women called their husbands ishi ("my man") rather than

4182-449: The meantime the acting prime minister or other incumbent minister is appointed by the cabinet to serve as interim prime minister. In the case of Sharon, elections were already due to occur within 100 days of the beginning of his coma; thus, the post-election coalition-building process pre-empted the emergency provisions for the selection of a new prime minister. Nevertheless, Olmert was appointed interim prime minister on 16 April 2006, after

SECTION 50

#1732771997447

4264-435: The mid-1990s, the number of kibbutzim making significant changes in their lifestyle has continued to grow, while the resistance to these changes has gradually decreased, with only a few dozen kibbutzim still functioning under more traditional models. It is important to note, however, that each kibbutz has undergone different processes of change. There are many people, outside and inside the kibbutzim, who claim these changes bring

4346-718: The number decreased to about 100,000; the number of kibbutzim in Israel was 270. In 1927, the United Kibbutz Movement was established. Several Hashomer Hatzair kibbutzim banded together to form Kibbutz Artzi . In 1936, Socialist League of Palestine was founded, and served as an urban ally of HaKibbutz HaArtzi. In 1946, HaKibbutz HaArtzi and the Socialist League combined to form the Hashomer Hatzair Workers Party of Palestine which in 1948, merged with Ahdut HaAvoda to form

4428-516: The official Prime Minister of Israel. In 2008, amid accusations of corruption and challenges from his own party, Olmert resigned. However, his successor Tzipi Livni was unable to form a coalition government. In the election in the following year , while Kadima won the most seats, it was the Likud leader Benjamin Netanyahu who was given the task of forming a government. He was able to do so, thus beginning his second term as Prime Minister of Israel. In

4510-514: The only contemporary communal enterprises: pre-war Palestine also saw the development of communal villages called moshavim . In a moshav , marketing and major farm purchases were collective, but other aspects of life were private. In 2009, most votes from kibbutzim went to Kadima , Labor , and Meretz . The principle of equality was taken extremely seriously up until the 1970s. Kibbutzniks did not individually own tools, or even clothing. Gifts and income received from outside were turned over to

4592-546: The only party leader to command an absolute majority in the Knesset, after Mapam and Rafi merged into the Alignment, giving it 63 seats in the 120-seat Knesset. On 26 February 1969, Eshkol became the first prime minister to die in office. He was temporarily replaced by Yigal Allon , whose stint lasted less than a month, as the party persuaded Golda Meir to return to political life and become prime minister in March 1969. Meir

4674-455: The outbreak of the al-Aqsa Intifada . However, the government was not brought down, and only elections for prime minister were necessary. In the election itself , Ariel Sharon of Likud comfortably beat Barak, taking 62.4% of the vote. However, because Likud only had 21 seats in the Knesset, Sharon had to form a national unity government. Following Sharon's victory, it was decided to do away with separate elections for prime minister and return to

4756-588: The precarious and porous borders of the state. In the Six-Day War , when Israel lost 800 soldiers, 200 of them were from kibbutzim. The prestige that kibbutzniks enjoyed in Israel in the 1960s was reflected in the Knesset . Though only 4% of Israelis were kibbutzniks, kibbutzniks made up 15% of Israel's parliament. As late as the 1970s, kibbutzim seemed to be thriving in every way. Kibbutzniks performed working-class, or even peasant-class, occupations, yet enjoyed

4838-407: The president nominates a member of the Knesset to become prime minister after asking party leaders whom they support for the position. The first candidate the president nominates has 28 days to form a viable government that can command a majority in the Knesset. He then presents a government platform and must receive a vote of confidence from the Knesset to take office. In practice, the prime minister

4920-485: The previous system. The 2003 elections were carried out in the same manner as prior to 1996. Likud won 38 seats, the highest by a party for over a decade, and as party leader Sharon was duly appointed Prime Minister. However, towards the end of his term and largely as a result of the deep divisions within Likud over Israel's unilateral disengagement plan , Sharon broke away from his party to form Kadima , managing to maintain his position as prime minister and also becoming

5002-463: The prime minister is Beit Aghion , at the corner of Balfour and Smolenskin streets in Rehavia , Jerusalem. Kibbutz A kibbutz ( Hebrew : קִבּוּץ / קיבוץ , lit.   ' gathering, clustering ' ; pl. : kibbutzim קִבּוּצִים / קיבוצים ) is an intentional community in Israel that was traditionally based on agriculture . The first kibbutz, established in 1910,

SECTION 60

#1732771997447

5084-465: The prime minister, as well as after the prime minister's request to dissolve the Knesset (Israeli parliament) was published through the president's decree, or after it was defeated by a motion of no confidence (these actions are regarded by the law as "the Government shall be deemed to have resigned"), or after election and before the forming of a new government. Since 1974, the official residence of

5166-413: The prime ministership, as a result of the previous month's election . If the prime minister dies in office, the cabinet chooses an interim prime minister to run the government until a new government is placed in power. Yigal Allon served as interim prime minister following Levi Eshkol's death, as did Shimon Peres following the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin. According to Israeli law, if a prime minister

5248-466: The renewing kibbutz/kibbutz mithadesh , in which a member's income consists solely of their individual income from his work and sometimes includes income from other kibbutz sources. According to a survey conducted by the University of Haifa 188 of all kibbutzim (72%) are now converted to the "renewing kibbutz" model, which could be described as more individualistic kibbutz. Dr. Shlomo Getz, head of

5330-494: The session would begin with a group dance. Remembering her youth on a kibbutz on the shores of the Kinneret , one woman said: "Oh, how beautiful it was when we all took part in the discussions, [they were] nights of searching for one another—that is what I call those hallowed nights. During the moments of silence, it seemed to me that from each heart a spark would burst forth, and the sparks would unite in one great flame penetrating

5412-399: The settlements, for instance, was influenced not only by considerations of economic viability but also and even chiefly by the needs of local defense, overall settlement strategy, and by the role such blocks of settlements might play in some future, perhaps decisive all-out struggle. Accordingly, land was purchased, or more often reclaimed, in remote parts of the country. Kibbutzim also played

5494-543: The southern end of the Sea of Galilee near the Arab village of Umm Juni/Juniya. These teenagers had hitherto worked as day laborers converting wetlands for human development, as masons, or as hands at the older Jewish settlements. Their dream was now to work for themselves, building up the land. They called their community " Kvutzat Degania" (lit. "collective of wheat" or "community of cereal grains"), now Degania Alef . The founders of Degania endured backbreaking labor: "The body

5576-527: The suffix -nik being of Slavic origin. In 2010, there were 270 kibbutzim in Israel with a total population of 126,000. Their factories and farms account for 9% of Israel's industrial output, worth US$ 8 billion , and 40% of its agricultural output, worth over US$ 1.7 billion. Some kibbutzim had also developed substantial high-tech and military industries. For example, in 2010, Kibbutz Sasa , containing some 200 members, generated US$ 850 million in annual revenue from its military- plastics industry . Currently

5658-450: The suicide of Housing Minister Avraham Ofer after police began investigating allegations that he had used party funds illegally, and the affair involving Asher Yadlin (the governor-designate of the Bank of Israel), who was sentenced to five years in prison for having accepted bribes. Rabin's wife, Leah , was also found to have had an overseas bank account , which was illegal in Israel at

5740-543: The support of the religious parties to form a viable government. Ultimately Netanyahu failed to hold the government together, and early elections for both prime minister and the Knesset were called in 1999 . Although five candidates intended to run, the three representing minor parties ( Benny Begin of Herut – The National Movement , Azmi Bishara of Balad , and Yitzhak Mordechai of the Centre Party ) dropped out before election day, and Ehud Barak beat Netanyahu in

5822-412: The time. Menachem Begin became the first right-wing prime minister when his Likud won the 1977 elections , and retained the post in the 1981 elections . He resigned in 1983 for health reasons, passing the reins of power to Yitzhak Shamir . After the 1984 elections had proved inconclusive with neither the Alignment nor Likud able to form a government, a national unity government was formed with

5904-473: Was Degania . Today, farming has been partly supplanted by other economic branches, including industrial plants and high-tech enterprises . Kibbutzim began as utopian communities, a combination of socialism and Zionism . In recent decades, some kibbutzim have been privatized and changes have been made in the communal lifestyle. A member of a kibbutz is called a kibbutznik ( Hebrew : קִבּוּצְנִיק / קיבוצניק ; plural kibbutznikim or kibbutzniks ),

5986-541: Was Israel's first woman prime minister, and the third in the world (after Sirimavo Bandaranaike and Indira Gandhi ). Meir resigned in 1974 after the Agranat Commission published its findings on the Yom Kippur War , even though it had absolved her of blame. Yitzhak Rabin took over, though he also resigned towards the end of the eighth Knesset's term following a series of scandals. Those included

6068-504: Was also a member of prime minister's party, which enabled them to appoint him to the role. Shimon Peres was the foreign minister when Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated, and was voted unanimously to assume office as an interim prime minister until a new Government would be placed in power (that he later formed by himself). Yigal Allon was also voted to be the interim prime minister after Prime Minister Levi Eshkol suddenly died and served until Golda Meir formed her government. Both

6150-554: Was called the Third Aliyah . Zionist Jewish youth movements flourished in the 1920s, from right-wing movements like Betar to left-wing socialist groups such as Dror, Brit Haolim, Qadima, HabBonim (now Habonim Dror ), and Hashomer Hatzair . In contrast to those who came as part of the Second Aliyah, these youth group members had some agricultural training before embarking. Members of the Second Aliyah and Third Aliyah were also less likely to be Russian, since emigration from Russia

6232-603: Was closed off after the Russian Revolution . European Jews who settled on kibbutzim between the World Wars were from other countries in Eastern Europe, including Germany . In the early days, communal meetings were limited to practical matters, but in the 1920s and 1930s, they became more informal. Instead of meeting in the dining room, the group would sit around a campfire. Rather than reading minutes,

6314-408: Was ended due to a criminal conviction. Israeli law distinguishes the terms acting prime minister (מלא מקום ראש הממשלה), filling in for the incumbent prime minister, temporarily, and acting in the incumbent's office, while the incumbent is in office, and an interim prime minister in office. Only if the incumbent prime minister becomes temporarily incapacitated will the acting prime minister act in

6396-487: Was replaced by Moshe Sharett . However, Ben-Gurion returned in a little under two years to reclaim his position. He resigned for a second time in 1963, breaking away from Mapai to form Rafi . Levi Eshkol took over as head of Mapai and prime minister. He became the first prime minister to head the country under the banner of two parties when Mapai formed the Alignment with Ahdut HaAvoda in 1965. In 1968 he also became

6478-545: Was simply the most logical way to be secure in an unwelcoming land. On top of safety considerations, establishing a farm was a capital-intensive project; collectively , the founders of the kibbutzim had the resources to establish something lasting, while independently they did not. Finally, the land had been purchased by the greater Jewish community. From around the world, Jews dropped coins into Jewish National Fund "Blue Boxes" for land purchases in Palestine. In 1909, Baratz, nine other men, and two women established themselves at

6560-529: Was swampy, the Judaean Mountains rocky, and the south of the country, the Negev , was a desert. To make things more challenging, most of the settlers had no prior farming experience. The sanitary conditions were also poor. Malaria , typhus and cholera were rampant. Bedouins would raid farms and settled areas. Sabotage of irrigation canals and burning of crops were also common. Living collectively

6642-608: Was that the enemies of the Arab peasants were the Arab landowners (called effendis ), not fellow Jewish farmers. Kibbutz members were not classic Marxists though their system partially resembled Communism . Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels both shared a disdain for conventional formulations of the nation state and Leninists were hostile to Zionism. Nevertheless, in the late 1930s, two kibbutz leaders, Tabenkin and Yaari, initially attracted to anarchist ideas, pushed their movements to reverence of Joseph Stalin 's dictatorship and of Stalin whom many called Shemesh HaAmim ("The Sun of

6724-408: Was that the kibbutz was striving for equality, including the equality of the sexes. Women were only seen as separate because they gave birth to children, automatically tying them to the domestic sphere . In order to liberate women and promote gender equality, they could not be tied to solely domestic duties and child care giving. The Kibbutz wanted to give women the opportunity to continue their work in

#446553