Israel Declaration of Independence
Israel, 1948
Copy courtesy of the Israel State Archive
Must Know
The Israel Declaration of Independence is the constitutive document of the state of Israel, signed by the members of Moetzat HaAm (The People’s Committee) headed by David Ben-Gurion. The scroll was designed by artist and calligrapher Otte Wallish. The scroll is made up of three parts and is generally kept in Israel’s State Archives
The declaration of independence was proclaimed on 14th of May, 1948 by then leader of the Yishuv (the body of Jewish residents in early Israel) David Ben-Gurion – who later became the first Prime Minister of Israel. It declares the establishment of a Jewish state, terminating the British rule and mandate that was in Eretz Israel at the time.
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The scroll, designed by Wallish, is based on the calligraphy style of the Torah from the 16th century. Aside from the scroll of independence Wallish also designed some of Israel’s first postal stamps, coins, bank notes and medals.
On May 12, 1948, the Moetzat HaAm (The People’s Committee) gathered to vote on declaring the Jewish state’s independence. The final approval was given in a meeting of Moetzat HaAm at the Jewish National Fund building in Tel Aviv two days later on May 14. The meeting and declaration ceremony ended with the words of David Ben-Gurion “The State of Israel is established! This meeting is adjourned.” The Moetzat HaAm became the Provisional State Council of Israel until 1949 when the first national parliamentary elections occurred.
The journey to establishing a Jewish state has been in the making as early as 1917, when the Balfour declaration stated the British government’s support of the Zionist movement. Subsequently, in 1937, the Peel Commission (or Palestine Royal commission) suggested parting Palestine into a Jewish and Arab state respectively. Even though this proposal was rejected at the time, Palestine was eventually partitioned by the United Nation in the “United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine” on November 29, 1947.
The signing of Israel’s declaration of independence was at a time of civil war between the Arab and Jewish populations living in then-Palestine (which was under British mandate prior to the declaration). In addition, neighbouring Arab nations and the Arab league opposed the both and had declared they would intervene to prevent the implementation of the declaration.
