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The Scroll of Independence –
Vision vs. Reality
O n Friday, May 14, 1948, with the British Mandate over Palestine due
to expire at midnight, representatives of the Yishuv and of the Zionist
Movement gathered at the Tel Aviv Museum and proclaimed the
establishment of the State of Israel. The author of this article was involved
in the formulation of the proclamation. He was later appointed a judge in
Israel's Supreme Court.
Zvi Berenson
The final version of the proclamation, which underwent final review by a committee
headed by David Ben-Gurion, was preceded by two drafts. The first was drawn up by
myself, at the request of Felix Rosenblüth (Pinhas Rosen), one of the signatories on the
proclamation and the designated first Minister of Law of the new state. Later a second
draft was prepared by a committee of the People’s Council, headed by Moshe Shertok
(Sharett), who became Israel's first Foreign Minister, and later Prime Minister.
I was given no more than 48 hours to prepare my draft proclamation, and this was just
a week before the ceremony was to take place. In the short time at my disposal, and in
the difficult conditions at the time, I could not obtain independence declarations and
constitutions of other countries for the purposes of comparison. I did not even have on
hand the UN Partition Plan resolution to divide the Land of Israel into two states – Jewish
and Arab. I felt obliged to prepare a brief, condensed text that would establish the right of
the Jewish People to the Land of Israel in terms of the nation's historic connection with
the land, and the recognition of this right by the other nations; set forth the fundamental
principles upon which the regime and civil life in the state would be based; and define the
state's initial administrative institutions. Since the text is a short one, I cite it here in full:
People's Administration Confidential
Law Department May 9, 1948
Proposal
P roclamation of Independence of the Jewish State
By virtue of the unbroken historic and traditional bond of the Jewish People with the Land
of Israel, and by virtue of the labor and sacrifice of the pioneers, builders and defenders who
have caused the desolate places of the land to bloom and have rebuilt it as the national home
of the Jewish People;
A nd in accordance with the will of the human conscience as expressed in the Balfour
The Declaration at a Distance 239
Vision vs. Reality
O n Friday, May 14, 1948, with the British Mandate over Palestine due
to expire at midnight, representatives of the Yishuv and of the Zionist
Movement gathered at the Tel Aviv Museum and proclaimed the
establishment of the State of Israel. The author of this article was involved
in the formulation of the proclamation. He was later appointed a judge in
Israel's Supreme Court.
Zvi Berenson
The final version of the proclamation, which underwent final review by a committee
headed by David Ben-Gurion, was preceded by two drafts. The first was drawn up by
myself, at the request of Felix Rosenblüth (Pinhas Rosen), one of the signatories on the
proclamation and the designated first Minister of Law of the new state. Later a second
draft was prepared by a committee of the People’s Council, headed by Moshe Shertok
(Sharett), who became Israel's first Foreign Minister, and later Prime Minister.
I was given no more than 48 hours to prepare my draft proclamation, and this was just
a week before the ceremony was to take place. In the short time at my disposal, and in
the difficult conditions at the time, I could not obtain independence declarations and
constitutions of other countries for the purposes of comparison. I did not even have on
hand the UN Partition Plan resolution to divide the Land of Israel into two states – Jewish
and Arab. I felt obliged to prepare a brief, condensed text that would establish the right of
the Jewish People to the Land of Israel in terms of the nation's historic connection with
the land, and the recognition of this right by the other nations; set forth the fundamental
principles upon which the regime and civil life in the state would be based; and define the
state's initial administrative institutions. Since the text is a short one, I cite it here in full:
People's Administration Confidential
Law Department May 9, 1948
Proposal
P roclamation of Independence of the Jewish State
By virtue of the unbroken historic and traditional bond of the Jewish People with the Land
of Israel, and by virtue of the labor and sacrifice of the pioneers, builders and defenders who
have caused the desolate places of the land to bloom and have rebuilt it as the national home
of the Jewish People;
A nd in accordance with the will of the human conscience as expressed in the Balfour
The Declaration at a Distance 239
