In the cities surrounding the Gaza Strip The bodies of Israelis who were among the victims attacks of Hamas military group since last weekend. They lived in the kibbutzgroups that have been part of the history of Israel for more than 100 years.

But What are kibbutzim and why are they important to Israel?

The kibbutzim were formed by the first Jewish migrants arriving in the Palestine region, at the beginning of the 20th century, before the State of Israel was established. The Zionists tried to flee anti-Semitic violence and they found in that part of the Middle East a place to build a new lifestyle.

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Little by little, more Jews came and settled small communities, worked the lands and shared decisions among all. Even after the State of Israel was proclaimed in 1947, the kibbutzim remained autonomous and efficient in their own development.

The first kibbutz in Israel, called Degania, was formed with the arrival of the Zionists on Palestinian territory. Photo: Jewish Documentation and Research Center of Mexico

Currently, the Israeli embassy defines a kibbutz as a ‘self-sufficient social and economic unit in which decisions are taken by the general meeting of its members and the properties and means of production are jointly owned.”

The Royal Spanish Academy is considering them agricultural colonies of community production and consumption. However, they have more features that may be of interest to anyone who is not part of a kibbutz.

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For example, in a kibbutz everyone earns the same basic salary, which increases depending on the size of the family. Everyone works for the community and that income goes to a common fund to manage the kibbutz itself and provide resources for its members.

Since the 1980s, the kibbutzim no longer focused solely on agricultural production, but also on irrigation systems, processed foods and plastics.

In accordance with RTVEIt is estimated that there are some 270 kibbutz, with between 40 and more than 1,000 members throughout Israel, although not all of its members are Israeli. They live in residential areas, on the outskirts of big cities, and have communal areas, playgrounds, houses and gardens.

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They are not necessarily religious, but there are twenty of them. In fact, most are governed by seven principles:

And moreover, are major contributors to Israeli productionkibbutzim have also become tourist attractions and offer services to foreigners and Israelis themselves, such as community libraries, summer camps or guest houses. (JO)