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and this was what we had asked for. If the State of Israel could defend itself, survive and
remain effective, it would do so largely on its own; and the issue would be decided, as we
were willing it should be, by the basic strength and solidity of the organism which we had
created in the last fifty years.
M ay 15 was a very full day. Recognition was extended to the State of Israel by the
Soviet Union and Poland, to be followed shortly by several countries of Eastern Europe
and South America. Great Britain remained silent, and I received reports that Mr. Bevin
was bringing pressure to bear on the British Dominions and Western Europe to withhold
recognition.
However, I bethought myself of one surviving author of the Balfour Declaration and
addressed a cable to General Smuts. This was closely followed by South African recognition.
O n this same day, amidst the avalanche of messages reaching me from Tel Aviv, there
was one signed by the five Labour Party leaders in the Provisional Government, David
Ben-Gurion, Eliezer Kaplan, Golda Myerson, David Remez and Moshe Shertok:
On the occasion of the establishment of the Jewish State we send our greetings to you, who
have done more than any other living man towards its creation. Your stand and help have
strengthened all of us. We look forward to the day when we shall see you at the head of the
State established in peace.
C haim Weizmann, Trial and Error (autobiography), East and West Library, 1949, pp. 582-585
Media Portfolio
Journalism
O n the day that the State of Israel was founded, the Jewish community
in the Land of Israel was producing 16 daily newspapers, which served a
population of 600,000. We gathered a few lines from the editorials that
appeared in each of them between May 14-16, 1948.
T hirteen of these newspapers appeared in Hebrew, two in German, and
one in English. Thirteen of them were published in Tel Aviv; the other
three in the besieged Jerusalem.
T he following excerpts are from 14 of these newspapers. Unfortunately,
we were not able to obtain the editorials from Yom Yom, published in
Hebrew, and Today's News, published in German. The following are the
names of the newspapers that are included here, with an indication of
their affiliation: HaAretz – private; Davar – Histadrut; Al HaMishmar –
Mapam; HaBoker – General Zionists and civic groups; HaTzofeh – Mizrahi
and HaPo'el HaMizrahi; HaMashkif – Revisionists; HaYoman – Agudat
208 The Friday That Changed Destiny
remain effective, it would do so largely on its own; and the issue would be decided, as we
were willing it should be, by the basic strength and solidity of the organism which we had
created in the last fifty years.
M ay 15 was a very full day. Recognition was extended to the State of Israel by the
Soviet Union and Poland, to be followed shortly by several countries of Eastern Europe
and South America. Great Britain remained silent, and I received reports that Mr. Bevin
was bringing pressure to bear on the British Dominions and Western Europe to withhold
recognition.
However, I bethought myself of one surviving author of the Balfour Declaration and
addressed a cable to General Smuts. This was closely followed by South African recognition.
O n this same day, amidst the avalanche of messages reaching me from Tel Aviv, there
was one signed by the five Labour Party leaders in the Provisional Government, David
Ben-Gurion, Eliezer Kaplan, Golda Myerson, David Remez and Moshe Shertok:
On the occasion of the establishment of the Jewish State we send our greetings to you, who
have done more than any other living man towards its creation. Your stand and help have
strengthened all of us. We look forward to the day when we shall see you at the head of the
State established in peace.
C haim Weizmann, Trial and Error (autobiography), East and West Library, 1949, pp. 582-585
Media Portfolio
Journalism
O n the day that the State of Israel was founded, the Jewish community
in the Land of Israel was producing 16 daily newspapers, which served a
population of 600,000. We gathered a few lines from the editorials that
appeared in each of them between May 14-16, 1948.
T hirteen of these newspapers appeared in Hebrew, two in German, and
one in English. Thirteen of them were published in Tel Aviv; the other
three in the besieged Jerusalem.
T he following excerpts are from 14 of these newspapers. Unfortunately,
we were not able to obtain the editorials from Yom Yom, published in
Hebrew, and Today's News, published in German. The following are the
names of the newspapers that are included here, with an indication of
their affiliation: HaAretz – private; Davar – Histadrut; Al HaMishmar –
Mapam; HaBoker – General Zionists and civic groups; HaTzofeh – Mizrahi
and HaPo'el HaMizrahi; HaMashkif – Revisionists; HaYoman – Agudat
208 The Friday That Changed Destiny
