DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE (ISRAEL)

The 'Declaration of Independence' (Hebrew: 'הכרזת העצמאות') of Israel, was the official announcement that a new Jewish state, named the State of Israel (''Medinat Yisrael'' in Hebrew), had been formally established in parts of what was known as the British Mandate for Palestine and on land where, in antiquity, the Kingdoms of Israel, Judah and Judea had once been. The State of Israel was declared only on the territories assigned to it "by the Partition Plan," (the State of Israel would later be expanded as a result of the 1948 War of Independence).^[1]
It has been called the start of the "Third Jewish Commonwealth" by some observers. The "First Jewish Commonwealth" ended with the destruction of Solomon's Temple in 586 BCE, the second with the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE, and the crushing of Bar Kokhba's revolt by the Roman Empire in the year 135.

Contents

Historical background

Context of the Declaration of the State of Israel

Signatories

Recognition of Israel

References

External links

Historical background

The Declaration of Independence of the State of Israel was publicly read in Tel Aviv on May 14, 1948, before the expiration of the British mandate at midnight. After David Ben-Gurion read the declaration of independence, Rabbi Fischman (Maimon), recited the Shehecheyanu blessing, and the Declaration of Independence was signed. The ceremony concluded with the singing of Hatikvah.
It was drafted during the preceding months, and the final version was a result of a compromise between the various parts of the Israeli public of that time. On May 14, 1948, the Vaad Leumi (Jewish National Council) gathered at the first site of the Tel Aviv Museum of Art — a site today called Independence Hall, and approved the proclamation.
However, "On May 12, the Jewish national administration was convened in order to decide whether to accept the American proposal for a truce or to declare the new state. A vote was taken and the decision to declare independence forthwith was supported by six of the ten voting members."" The Evolution of the Israeli-Egyptian Rivalry, 1948–1979", Professor of Political Science Dr. Zeev Maoz, Tel-Aviv University, pp 5, 7.
The new state and its government was recognized de facto minutes later by the United States and three days later de jure by the Soviet Union. It was however opposed by many others, particularly Arabs (both the surrounding Arab states and the Palestinian Arabs who felt it was being established at their expense).
The declaration is written in a style reminiscent of UN resolutions, beginning with preambulatory sentences explaining the causes for the declaration and the right of Jews to an independent country, and then operative sentences detailing the attributes of the forthcoming State of Israel.

Context of the Declaration of the State of Israel

The document commences by drawing a direct line from Biblical times to the present:
It acknowledges the Jewish exile over the millennia, mentioning both ancient "faith" and new "politics":
It speaks of the urge of Jews to return to their ancient homeland:
It describes Jewish immigrants to Israel in the following terms:
The European Holocaust of 1939–45 is part of the imperative for the re-settlement of the homeland:

On November 29, 1947, the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution calling for the establishment of a Jewish State in Israel, requiring the inhabitants of Israel to take such steps as were necessary on their part for the implementation of that resolution. This recognition by the United Nations of the right of the Jewish people to establish their State is irrevocable.

On the issues of sovereignty and self-determination:
The new state pledged that it will take steps to bring about the economic union of the whole of Eretz-Israel and appealed:
A final appeal is made to the Jewish people throughout the Diaspora to rally round the Jews of Eretz-Israel in the tasks of immigration and upbuilding and to stand by them in the struggle for the realization of their age-old dream, the redemption of Israel.
Concluding by "Placing our trust in the Rock of Israel…" (language which was the result of a compromise between religious and secular groups) the signatories affixed their signatures.

Signatories

As leader of the Yishuv, David Ben-Gurion was the first person to sign. He was followed by:
Daniel Auster, Yitzhak Ben-Zvi, Mordekhai Bentov, Eliyahu Berligne, Fritz Bernstein, Rachel Cohen-Kagan, Eliyahu Dobkin, Rabbi Yehuda Leib Hacohen Fishman, Rabbi Wolf Gold, Meir Grabovsky, Dr Abraham Granovsky, Yitzhak Gruenbaum, Rabbi Kalman Kahana, Eliezer Kaplan, Abraham Katznelson, Saadia Kobashi, Moshe Kolodny, Rabbi Yitzhak Meir Levin, Meir David Loewenstein, Zvi Luria, Golda Meir, Nahum Nir, David Zvi Pinkas, Felix Rosenblueth, David Remez, Berl Repetur, Zvi Segal, Mordechai Shatner, Ben-Zion Sternberg, Bekhor Sheetrit, Haim-Moshe Shapira, Moshe Sharett, Herzl Vardi, Meir Vilner, Zerach Warhaftig and Aharon Zisling

Recognition of Israel

11 minutes after the Declaration of the Establishment of the State of Israel at 18:00 (Washington, D.C. time), on 14 May 1948, the United States formally recognized the State of Israel, followed by Guatemala, Nicaragua and Uruguay. The Soviet Union recognized the State of Israel on 17 May 1948, followed by Poland, Czechoslovakia (''formally''), Yugoslavia (''formally''), Ireland and South Africa.

References

1. Lewis, Bernard. ''The Middle East: A Brief History of the Last 2,000 Years''. New York: Scribner, 1995. p. 363.

External links

★ Official text

★ Original Recording

★ Original Document: Press Release Announcing US Recognition of Israel