Yom Ha'Atzmaut, the State of Israel’s Independence Day, is a national holiday celebrated on the 5th of Iyar to mark the Declaration of Independence of the State of Israel at the end of the British Mandate. Since 1949, Independence Day has been enshrined in law as a “state holiday” as well as a sabbatical day of rest. Independence Day is celebrated from the evening of the 4th of Iyar, with the conclusion of Memorial Day for the Fallen Soldiers of the Wars of Israel and Victims of Actions of Terrorism, until the following evening of the 5th of Iyar. In the case of the date falling on the Sabbath, the holiday is celebrated on an adjacent day.
Declaration of Independence
The British Mandate ended at midnight between Friday and Saturday, May 14th–15th, 1948, in accordance with the partition plan approved by the United Nations on November 29th, 1947. The War of Independence was already being fought, with battles underway between the local Jewish and Arab populations. The People’s Council headed by David Ben-Gurion decided to declare the establishment of the state on Friday, May 5th, at 4:00 pm, before the Sabbath, eight hours prior to the end of the Mandate.
Discussions on the declaration’s wording continued until the very last minute, and at the appointed time, the members of the People’s Council met for a short, festive ceremony in Tel Aviv while thousands gathered outside the building. Ben-Gurion read the declaration, and the members of the People’s Council signed the document, which became known as the Declaration of Independence. The next day, the armies of several Arab nations invaded the new State of Israel.
Yom Ha'Atzmaut Celebrations
The first Independence Day was celebrated in 1949 with a military parade in Tel Aviv and ceremonies, events and prayers held throughout the country and in Jewish communities around the world. These celebrations shaped the day’s traditional character. For the first 20 years, the main event was a large military parade. Later, the practice was limited to air force and naval displays.
Independence Day is celebrated with state, local and private events. A torch-lighting ceremony at Mount Herzl marks the close of the Memorial Day events and the beginning of the Independence Day celebrations. Among the holiday’s official events are a reception for outstanding soldiers hosted by the President of Israel, the International Bible Contest for middle school and high school students and the Israel Prize ceremony. Cities across the country hold mass celebrations with live performances and fireworks.
The Declaration of Independence, the events that preceded it and various Independence Day celebrations over the years are documented in an abundance of items preserved at the National Library of Israel. Among the special materials are the original manuscript of Israel’s national anthem “HaTikvah,” historical documents, photographs and posters, the Independence Haggadah, press clippings, books and articles, song recordings and lesson plans for teachers. The Library blog also features interesting stories and anecdotes related to Independence Day.
Discover the Israeli Declaration of Independence through rare photos from the Library’s collections and listen to the original recording of the event.
The first Israeli Independence Day was celebrated in 1949 with a military parade in Tel Aviv and ceremonies, events and prayers held throughout the country and among Jewish communities around the world. These celebrations shaped the day’s traditional character. For the first 20 years, the main event was a large military parade. Later, the practice was limited to air force and naval displays.
View rare photos from the 1949 celebrations from the Benno Rothenberg Collection.
Any war disrupts the routines of daily societal life. The War of Independence broke out gradually during the months leading up to the declaration of the State of Israel, but its signs were evident everywhere in the last weeks of 1947. As the war became a reality and expanded to various parts of the country, organized civilian responses to these events grew. On the one hand, there was a natural desire to continue life as usual, including civilian affairs. On the other hand, the security and economic reality forced certain changes. Many materials in the collections of the National Library enable us to learn how the authorities in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem reacted to the new realities that disrupted normal daily life.
In Tel Aviv, Beaches Are Temporarily Closed
The bustling Hebrew city of Tel Aviv, which had suffered aerial bombardments during World War II, found itself facing a direct threat from surrounding Arab strongholds. The possibility of an aerial or naval attack was also taken into account in the spring of 1948, when the municipality prohibited sea bathing inside the city limits. The reason given was a desire to avoid crowded gatherings. The municipality informed the public that it would not open the life-guard stations. Moreover, residents were prohibited from walking on the beach or the adjacent boardwalk. The poster concluded with the words “Be Careful and Watch Yourselves Closely” [a paraphrase of Deuteronomy 4:9].
The difficult national situation was reflected also in economic distress. The Tel Aviv Municipality called upon its residents to hurry and settle their municipal financial debts. A poster for the municipality explains to the public that because of the need to repair the damages to many residents’ homes, the municipality is in urgent need of funds. The public is asked to pay the property tax normally due at the end of March 1948 by January 1948. The wording borders on a plea: “The Tel Aviv Municipality is confident that the city’s residents understand the seriousness of the hour for the entireyishuv and also for the life and security of every individual, and will fulfill their duty ... [and] help the municipality to face the challenge.” In light of the text, we learn that many residents of Tel Aviv apparently continued with their normal routines, and needed a reminder as to the current plight.
Concern for Safety
With the spread of the War of Independence, the Tel Aviv Municipality warned of possible dangers. A municipality poster prohibits Tel Aviv residents from crossing into Jaffa after IDF forces entered the area. In the same poster, the mayor warns against damaging property in Jaffa. On Purim 1948, the municipality asks residents to refrain from using explosives, toy cap guns or fireworks, “in order to avoid any unnecessary tensions during these difficult days.” Furthermore, merchants are warned not to sell any merchandise of this type. The announcement also asks that residents “not dress-up in Arab costumes or masks.” The municipality published instructions on how to protect against bombings and what to do in case of an air raid.
Changes to the Daily Routine
The Tel Aviv Municipality faced many practical difficulties. Many of its employees had been drafted, forcing it to cut back on sanitation services. Given the reduced workforce, residents were asked to return empty garbage bins to their places after garbage collection. Municipal public transportation was also limited due to national gasoline rationing, and at a certain point, a notice was issued about cessation of bus service from 9 p.m.
The Matter of Food in Wartime
As early as April 1948, the Tel Aviv Municipality issued a notice requiring all food wholesalers, importers and food manufacturers (including bakeries) to submit a detailed inventory of all food products (both raw materials and finished products) in and out of their warehouses.
Problems of supply were common throughout the war, and in another ad, harsh criticism is voiced by the Histadrut Hapoel Mizrahi Labor Union in the Tel Aviv City Council against food scalpers, who are labeled “a fifth column that targets the Yishuv from within.” The municipality is called upon to “regulate supply matters with an iron fist,” while the Chief Rabbinate is asked, in the same poster, to ensure that all frozen meat imports are kosher, “thereby enabling religious Jews to use this meat as well, and prevent factions to split over non-kosher meat.”
And in Jerusalem, War Within the City
Two interesting posters in the collection illuminate the situation in Jerusalem. In February, immediately after the deadly attack on the Palestine Post building, Magen David Adom called on the public to donate money for new ambulances. All four ambulances were damaged in the attack, and donations from the residents were needed for the benefit of the “Ambulance Fund.”
Jerusalem experienced difficult days from February 1948 until June of that year. On June 11, the Jerusalem District Defense Commander published a proclamation thanking residents for their steadfastness: "with your heads held high, you have borne the fateful blows of the enemy’s barbaric bombardments which have cut down the souls of your loved ones. You have silently suffered through sleepless nights, water shortages and food rations.” The notice, written during a truce, calls on residents not to return to routine but to continue to strengthen the city, through work, recruitment, fortification, and productivity: "Do as you have done so far, out of discipline, without despair, without illusions.”
Studying these materials allows us to get a sense of the atmosphere of the War of Independence, particularly from the civilian perspective, which is often overlooked historically. The War of Independence, which lasted for many months and was full of upheavals, endangered the civilian population in Israel, including those living in the country's main cities. After many years of development and continued economic, cultural and demographic prosperity, Tel Aviv found itself in a state of war that was contrary to the city’s normal civil-bourgeois character.
Read these fascinating stories from our blog which illuminate various aspects of Israel's Independence Day that you may not have neem aware of!
Interesting questions for discussion, detailed information about photographs and documents, analysis of posters and lesson plans on the subject of Independence Day.
