Israel's Independence Day: On May 14, 1948 Israel Became a Nation

Israel is celebrating their 59th anniversary of statehood. After thousands of years of the Jewish nation being disbursed throughout the world, this tiny country was able to restore their people, culture, and Hebrew language in less than a decade. I visited Israel during their 50th anniversary in 1998. The city of Jerusalem was full of festivities and fireworks and the sun reflected off the limestone buildings making them look like gold. Here is a short tribute to Israel.

Jerusalem "the City of David" was originally won by King David from the Jebusite leaders [2nd Samuel]. David's son, Solomon, actually completed the construction of the Temple Mount. After Roman occupation, the city was captured in 638 AD by the Caliph Umar who made Jerusalem the third holiest city of Islam. They believe the Dome of the Rock is where Mohammad ascended to heaven on a winged horse (Surah XVII:11 of the Qur'an) at the "furthest mosque." There was no mosque in "Jerusalem" until 711 AD. The animosity we currently see between Islamic and Jewish people really stretches back to the days of Abraham's sons Ishmael and Isaac - the son who was spared sacrifice at this rock according to Christians and Jews.

Biblically, God identifies Jerusalem as a city "called by my name" and is God's "brand plucked from the fire". The Jewish people feel so strongly about their Israeli homeland, they offer free trips to youths who wish to make the visit and include in their prayers world-wide, "next year in Jerusalem". The Ottoman Turks took it over around 1517 and it was later won by the British via General Allenby in 1917. In 1927 the Balfour Declaration gave these territories to the Jewish people who were in exile, however, Churchill redrew the boundaries in 1923 when he realized the value of the oil rich territories - which has caused much dispute over recent years between Israel's leaders Ehud Barak, Shimon Perez and Yassar Arafat. The Jewish people resurrected the Hebrew language, the culture, and by use of co-ops called kibbutz redeveloped the land agriculturally. Many disputes arose among the British and Zionists due to the large numbers immigrating into Israel as a result of World War II and the Holocaust. Recognizing that the Jewish people needed a safe harbor and homeland, the world came together to grant them a place to call their own.

On May 14, 1948, it became official. Israel's Declaration of Independence ends with the following language:

"PLACING OUR TRUST IN THE ALMIGHTY, WE AFFIX OUR SIGNATURES TO THIS PROCLAMATION AT THIS SESSION OF THE PROVISIONAL COUNCIL OF STATE, ON THE SOIL OF THE HOMELAND, IN THE CITY OF TEL-AVIV, ON THIS SABBATH EVE, THE 5TH DAY OF IYAR, 5708 (14TH MAY, 1948)."