Chawat Shikmim
Chawat Shikmim (after the English translation Havat Shikmim ) is a sheep farm in Israel in the northern part of the Negev desert . It is located about three kilometers east of the city of Sderot . The farm is owned by the family of former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon . It covers 3823 dunams (4 km²).
Sharon acquired the land in 1972 with the help of a loan from Meshulam Riklis . He transferred the property to his sons Omri and Gilad to avoid any conflict of interest when he became Minister of Agriculture in 1977. In 2007 the farm was hit by a Kassam rocket fired in the Gaza Strip , which exploded next to a sheepfold.
In June 2010, the Israel Land Administration (ILA) renewed the ranch's lease for an additional 49 years for 142,000 shekels per year.
Sharon and his second wife Lily are buried in Chawat Shikmim.
Web links
- http://www.globes.co.il/news/article.aspx?QUID=1055,U1277331522455&did=1000569180
- http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/123331
Coordinates: 31 ° 30 ′ 42.4 " N , 34 ° 38 ′ 1.1" E