Israel's 60th Anniversary in Context
May 12, 2008
Poster designed by Chen Arye, second year student in Wizo Design
Academy in Haifa, under the instruction of Hayim Shtayer, for Israel’s 58th Independence Day. Copyrights: Chen Arye 2007. Photo courtesy of Hayim Shtayer.
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Independence Day was celebrated by Israel on May 8 this year, according to the Hebrew calendar. But May 14, 2008 marks the 60th anniversary of the official founding of the State of Israel and the war that broke out immediately afterwards as Arab armies attempted to destroy the UN-sanctioned Jewish state at birth. In this report, Vision publisher and Middle East scholar David Hulme analyzes the events leading up to the 1948 war.
Triumph and Tragedy in the Middle East
When David Ben-Gurion proclaimed the State of Israel in Tel Aviv on May 14, 1948, he very likely did not envisage how long the conflict with the Arab world would continue. 60 years later, are there any answers to be found?
Israel Marks 60 Years as Political Clouds Gather
Israel celebrated its 60th birthday with barbecues and military display on Thursday but the party was marred by an investigation that could unseat the prime minister and derail efforts toward a peace it has never known.
Deir Yassin, the Black Stain at Israel's Founding
Operation Nachshon and the awful events at the Palestinian village of Deir Yassin became a turning point in the First Arab-Israeli war. But the massacre also set a pattern for reprisal that has not abated in 60 years.
Massacre of Palestinians at Deir Yassin
Named Black Stain By Jewish Thinkers
It was Jewish philosopher Martin Buber who, with three other Jewish thinkers, wrote to Ben-Gurion that the massacre of over 100 men, women and children by Jewish forces at Deir Yassin is "a black stain on the honour of the Jewish nation" and "a warning to our people that no practical military needs may ever justify such acts of murder."
Causes of Conflict
Middle East scholar David Hulme blogs about the future of Jerusalem.
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