2018-05-14 Mon

70 years of Israeli Existence summed up in one stamp. The stamp was issued a month prior to the 70th Independence Day of the Nation.

On May 14, 1948, David Ben Gurion proclaimed the establishment of the State of Israel. The State of Israel was “Promised Land” to the Jews who were dispersed in every corner of the world. However, since 14th Century their Promised Land (Palestine) was conquered by the Ottoman Empire and the Jews had to migrate to different parts of the world.

The migrations are known in History as the Aliyahs. The first wave of modern Jewish migration to Ottoman-ruled Palestine, known as the First Aliyah, began in 1881. This was the beginning of Zionist Movement. The rise of Nazism and the increasing persecution of Jews in 1930s Europe led to the Fifth Aliyah, with an influx of a quarter of a million Jews. By the end of World War II, the Jewish population of Palestine had increased to 33% of the total population.

Now, the real conflict arose. The Jewish Occupation of the city of Palestine was not approved by the Arabs. The conflicts between the two communities became so critical that The British had to interfere. On 15 May 1947, the General Assembly of the newly formed United Nations set up a committee which proposed a plan to replace the British Mandate with "an independent Arab State, an independent Jewish State, and the City of Jerusalem. Hence, Palestine became a British Mandate.

On 14 May 1948, the day before the expiration of the British Mandate, David Ben-Gurion, the head of the Jewish Agency, declared "the establishment of a Jewish state in Eretz-Israel, to be known as the State of Israel. That is how Israel – one of the strongest nation – was born.

Today, as it celebrates 70 years of independence, Israel has made impressive achievements in economics, industry, agriculture, science, technology, space, sports, literature, cinema and more. A 5 shekel stamp was designed to commemorate the 70th Independence Day which depicts many of the inventions for which Israel has become famous as well as Israeli success in academia, science, sports, agriculture, music, film and business.

The word “Israel” appears in Hebrew and Arabic, as well as English. According to the Israel Post, the Stamp not only portrays the achievement so far but also a motivation for the future.

Image Curtsey: https://www.yavnenet.co.il