May 14th 1948, 16:00 PM, Tel-Aviv
On a small podium stands a determined Zionist leader
before a hastily convened gathering,
reading out a proclamation which would change
the course of History -this is how the state
of Israel was born.
first, a bit of background:
At the end of WWI, the allied powers gained
control over the Middle East -including the
land of Israel.
The League of Nations, recognized the historical
connection of the Jewish people to their land
and granted Great Britain a mandate to help
them reconstitute a national home.
However, Arab riots and geopolitical considerations
lead to a series of British restrictions on
Jewish development and immigration. Even ships
including displaced children and holocaust
survivors were sent back to Europe. Jewish
resistance grew as well.
By 1947 the ball was back in the United Nation�s
court where a majority of the nations decided
on November 29, after a tense vote to divide
the land into a Jewish and an Arab state.
The Jews rejoiced, the local Arab population,
well�. they launched a war throughout the
country .
May 15, 1948 was the date the British mandate
officially ended... the date the Jewish state
was to be declared... AND.. the date 5 regular
Arab armies planned a coordinated attack to
annihilate the newborn state.
On May 12th, David Ben-Gurion convened the
People�s Council
The atmosphere was grave:
Moshe Sharett reported that the Americans
are demanding a postponement of the declaration
- or else they would not help Israel against
the united Arab invasion..
Golda Meir reported that King Abdullah had
retracted his original agreement, and WILL
join the attack.
Military leaders expressed serious doubts
about the ability of the small Jewish community,
to withstand five regular Arab equipped with
European weaponry.
But somehow, after 13 hours of deliberations
Ben Gurion succeeds in swaying the balance
against the American demand.
And on Friday, May 14, in the presence of
local Jewish leaders, he declares the establishment
of the state of Israel.
The proclamation which was inspired by the
American Declaration of Independence, asserted
the historical and moral rights of the Jewish
people in its historic homeland, and it defined
Israel as a Jewish Democratic state based
on, equal rights, freedom, and justice. The
declaration ended with a call on Jews to return
home and extended a hand for peace towards
the local Arab population and neighboring
Arab countries.
The Arab invasion was immediate and lasted
for over a year. Close to 50% of Israel�s
small fighting force were survivors of the
Nazi death camps who vowed �never again!�.
One out of every hundred Jews living in Israel
died in the fighting, but by the end of the
war the small Jewish state had emerged victorious
as an independent nation in it homeland for
the first time in 2000 years.
