Page 75 - big friday
P. 75
the steps of the museum there arrived a platoon of cadets from the officers' school,
with white belts on their uniforms, and stood as a guard of honor at the entrance. At
the doorway there stood Israeli soldiers to welcome the members of the government
arriving for the declaration ceremony. The simplicity of the setting added immeasurably to
the majesty.
Inside
All faces were attuned to the great event that was about to take place. The invitees took
their places and waited, restrained and serious, for the commencement of the ceremony.
One by one the members of the Government and the Council began to arrive. The many
photographers set off their electric flashes every moment, capturing the different moments
of this great day.
At ten minutes to four, Mr. D. Ben-Gurion and his wife arrived at the hall; they were
followed by Mr. M. Shertok, Mr. F. Rosenblüth, and Dr. P. Bernstein. Rabbi Y.L. Fishman
entered, accompanied by Mr. M. Shapiro. Both had just come from Jerusalem by special
plane, to participate in the ceremony. The two members representing the United Workers'
Party, Mr. M. Bentov and Mr. Y. Zisling, arrived. Mr. E. Kaplan and Mr. Bekhor Sheetrit
took their places at the table. Two members of the Provisional Government, Mr. Yitzhak
Gruenbaum, who was in Jerusalem, and Rabbi Yitzhak Meir Levin, representative of
Agudat Yisrael, who was in New York, were unable to attend the ceremony.
The gavel
A t exactly 4pm, there was the sound of a wooden gavel pounding on the table. All
those gathered joined in the singing of HaTikva. Mr. D. Ben-Gurion rose from his place
at the middle of the table, took the Scroll of Independence in his hand, and in a strong
voice began to read sentence after sentence. The audience listened most attentively to the
words of the Prime Minister: "Eretz Yisrael (the Land of Israel) was the birthplace of the
Jewish people. Here their spiritual, religious and political identity was shaped. Here they
first attained statehood, created cultural values of national and universal significance and
gave to the world the eternal Book of Books." The words rang out in the hall, establishing
immediately the exalted character of the declaration as a whole.
F rom time to time, cheers and applause broke out. The first time there was prolonged
cheering was when the establishment of the State of Israel was proclaimed. Then, applause
greeted the news that the People's Administration would become the Provisional
Government of the Jewish state, which is to be called Israel. And there were another two
or three times until the reading of the declaration was over.
W hen Mr. Ben-Gurion concluded the reading with the words, "Placing our trust in
A State is Born 73
with white belts on their uniforms, and stood as a guard of honor at the entrance. At
the doorway there stood Israeli soldiers to welcome the members of the government
arriving for the declaration ceremony. The simplicity of the setting added immeasurably to
the majesty.
Inside
All faces were attuned to the great event that was about to take place. The invitees took
their places and waited, restrained and serious, for the commencement of the ceremony.
One by one the members of the Government and the Council began to arrive. The many
photographers set off their electric flashes every moment, capturing the different moments
of this great day.
At ten minutes to four, Mr. D. Ben-Gurion and his wife arrived at the hall; they were
followed by Mr. M. Shertok, Mr. F. Rosenblüth, and Dr. P. Bernstein. Rabbi Y.L. Fishman
entered, accompanied by Mr. M. Shapiro. Both had just come from Jerusalem by special
plane, to participate in the ceremony. The two members representing the United Workers'
Party, Mr. M. Bentov and Mr. Y. Zisling, arrived. Mr. E. Kaplan and Mr. Bekhor Sheetrit
took their places at the table. Two members of the Provisional Government, Mr. Yitzhak
Gruenbaum, who was in Jerusalem, and Rabbi Yitzhak Meir Levin, representative of
Agudat Yisrael, who was in New York, were unable to attend the ceremony.
The gavel
A t exactly 4pm, there was the sound of a wooden gavel pounding on the table. All
those gathered joined in the singing of HaTikva. Mr. D. Ben-Gurion rose from his place
at the middle of the table, took the Scroll of Independence in his hand, and in a strong
voice began to read sentence after sentence. The audience listened most attentively to the
words of the Prime Minister: "Eretz Yisrael (the Land of Israel) was the birthplace of the
Jewish people. Here their spiritual, religious and political identity was shaped. Here they
first attained statehood, created cultural values of national and universal significance and
gave to the world the eternal Book of Books." The words rang out in the hall, establishing
immediately the exalted character of the declaration as a whole.
F rom time to time, cheers and applause broke out. The first time there was prolonged
cheering was when the establishment of the State of Israel was proclaimed. Then, applause
greeted the news that the People's Administration would become the Provisional
Government of the Jewish state, which is to be called Israel. And there were another two
or three times until the reading of the declaration was over.
W hen Mr. Ben-Gurion concluded the reading with the words, "Placing our trust in
A State is Born 73
