Israel Founded
David Ben-Gurion proclaimed the establishment of the State of Israel
May 14, 1948
The Declaration of a New State
On May 14, 1948, David Ben-Gurion stood in Tel Aviv and read out the Declaration of Independence of the State of Israel. The announcement came just hours before the British mandate over Palestine officially ended. Within minutes, the United States recognized the new state, followed shortly by the Soviet Union. Jewish communities around the world erupted in celebration. For many Jewish people, the founding of Israel represented the fulfillment of the Zionist movement's decades-long dream of establishing a Jewish homeland in the ancient land of their ancestors.
War From the Start
The celebration was short-lived. The very next day, five neighboring Arab states — Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, and Iraq — launched a military invasion. Israel's new army, fighting for survival, managed to hold off the attacks and even expanded its territory beyond what the United Nations had originally proposed. The conflict created a massive refugee crisis, with hundreds of thousands of Palestinian Arabs fleeing or being expelled from their homes. This period, known in Arabic as the Nakba, or "catastrophe," remains deeply painful and politically significant to this day.
A Disputed Land, a Lasting Conflict
The founding of Israel set off one of the world's longest-running conflicts. Questions about borders, refugees, and the status of Jerusalem have never been fully resolved. Israel grew into a modern, technologically advanced country, but tension with its neighbors and with the Palestinian population continued across generations. Peace agreements were reached with Egypt in 1979 and Jordan in 1994, but a final resolution to the broader conflict remains elusive. The events of 1948 still shape headlines and diplomatic negotiations around the world today.