The survival – and even the creation – of the State of Israel was was in doubt from the beginning. On May 14, 1948, when Zionist leader David Ben Gurion read out the independence proclamation that finally created a Jewish State, it seemed like a dream, but there were fears it could become a nightmare. On November 29, 1947, after a tense ballot, the United Nations voted to divide the land of Israel into a Jewish state and an Arab state. The local Arab population rejected the plan and no one knew what would happen on May 14, 1948 when the British Mandate, which ruled Palestine after the First World War, would end. Days before the establishment of the state, with five Arab countries coordinating plans to attack the newborn country, war was inevitable. But that wasn’t the only problem. While Israel’s chances in a war on multiple fronts seemed low, diplomatic issues also threatened to scuttle the birth of the State of Israel. Despite the odds, Ben Gurion stood up before local leaders and declared the establishment of a Jewish homeland. The celebrations were short lived. Almost immediately the Arab invasion began. The Israel war of Independence would last for over a year and claim the life of one percent of the tiny country’s population. This video is a partnership between The Jewish Story and Jerusalem U. ———–
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