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January: Jewish Agency representative Golda Meyerson (Meir) visits the U. S. to urge Jews to furnish funds for Palestine.

February 4: Dr. Chaim Weizmann arrives in New York.

March 11: When a car filled with explosives blows up in the courtyard of the Jewish Agency building in Jerusalem, 12 people are killed, among them Arie Leib Jaffe, one of the founders of the Zionist movement. Born in 1876, he was the director of Keren Hayesod from 1926.

March 19: During the debate in the Security Council on the implementation of the partition plan proposed by the Assembly, it becomes clear that the U. S. back down from its support of the plan because it became clear to them that it was impossible to implement the plan without the use of military force, and in view of the British decision to wind up the Mandate on 15 May 1948, it would be necessary to ensure the rule of order in Palestine, and to provide time to enable the two sides to come to an agreement on the future of the country. The U. S. proposes to convene the UN General Assembly, in order that it might carry out the partition program by organizing a temporary condominium. The delegates of the Jewish Agency and the Va'ad Leumi vigorously oppose the idea of a condominium and any further postponement of the establishment of the Jewish State.

March 20: In a press conference in Tel Aviv David Ben Gurion answers the proposal for a UN trusteeship in Palestine: "It is we who will decide the fate of Palestine. We cannot agree to any sort of Trusteeship, permanent or temporary. The Jewish State exists because we defend it."

April: The Jewish Agency and the Higher Command of the Haganah concentrate their best efforts on the building of a regular and the purchase of arms and other means of warfare.

April 1: The UN calls upon the Jewish Agency to make representative available to the Security Council to negotiate a truce.

April 11: The Zionist Executive discusses the establishment of an autonomous governing body for the Yishuv in anticipation of independence. It is decided to establish a "Temporary State Assembly" in which the members of the Palestinian Executive of the Jewish Agency and members of the Executive of the Va'ad Leumi will participate, as well as representatives of bodies not represented there - in all, 37 members. From these, an executive body is chosen of 13 members , which is to constitute the temporary government. These 13 members are:
David Ben Gurion, Mordechai Bentov, Peretz Bernstein, Yitzhak Gruenbaum, Rabbi Yitzhak Meir Levin, Rabbi Yehuda Leib Fishman, Aharon Zisling, Eliezer Kaplan, Felix Rosenblit, David Remez, Bechor Shalom Shitrit, Moshe Shapira and Moshe Shertok.
The Provisional State Council is composed of the following members: Daniel Auster, Yitzhak Ben Zvi, Eliyahu Berlin, Rabbi Wolf Gold, Meir Grabovsky (Argov), Dr. Avraham Granovsky (Granot), Eliyahu Dobkin, Meir Vilner, Herzl Vardi, Zerah Warhaftig, Rachel Cohen, Kalman Kahana, Saadia Kobashi, Meir David Levinstein, Zvi Luria, Golda Meyerson (Meir), Nahum Nir, Zvi Segal, David Pinkas, Moshe Kolodny (Kol), Dr. Abraham Katznelson (Nisan), Berl Repetur, Mordechai Shattner, Ben Zion Goldberg.
It is obvious that the State will not be able to deal with all matters that had been in the purview of the Jewish Agency and/or the WZO (immigration, absorption of immigrants, and settlement), not only for financial reasons but also because they are a global Jewish responsibility and not an internal affair of the State of Israel. It is felt that the Jewish Agency will be needed to express the partnership of the Jewish people all over the world with Israel in the historic enterprise of building the State and to channel and utilize properly the aid that is expected and forthcoming from Diaspora Jewry.

April 17: UN Security Council Resolution 46.

May: Golda Meyerson (Meir) accompanied by Ezra Danin, meets secretly with King Abdullah ibn Hussein in Transjordan. She fails to dissuade him from joining the Arab invasion of Palestine to take place upon the departure of the British.

May 13: Dr. Chaim Weizmann writes to president Harry S. Truman: "I deeply hope that the United States, which under your leadership has done so much to find a just solution [to the Palestine situation], will promptly recognize the Provisional Government of the new Jewish state. The world, I think, would regard it as especially appropriate that the greatest living democracy should be the first to welcome the newest into the family of nations."

May 29: The last "illegal" immigrant ship, "The Battle for Emek Ayalon", reaches Tel Aviv from Italy with 706 immigrants.

With the establishment of the State of Israel the Jewish Agency ceases to function as the "government" of the Jewish community in pre-state Palestine. Its new function is the "government" of the Jewish people. One of the main tasks of the Jewish Agency during the period of the British administration is to represent the Zionist movement and the world Jewry before the Mandatory government, the League of Nations and the British government in London. The position of the Mandatory government in Palestine was that the Jewish Agency was not entitled to take part in the government of the country but to cooperate with the authorities in matters affecting the development of the Jewish National Home. But for the Yishuv, the Jewish Agency became the dominant force of its activities in agricultural and urban settlement, its specialized institutions, and its considerable economic resources. The Yishuv looked at the Jewish Agency for political guidance. The Peel Commission in 1937 summed up the role of the Jewish Agency: "It may be said that the Jewish Agency has used to the fullest extent the position conferred on it by the Mandate. In the course of time it has created a complete administrative apparatus. This powerful and efficient organization amounts, in fact, to a Government existing side by side with the Mandatory Government."

On the eve of the establishment of the State of Israel there are 650,000 Jews in Palestine, four times as many as in 1929. During these 10 years, almost half a million Jews have immigrated to Palestine; the illegal immigration alone accounted for about 120,000 over 14 years. The area of land under Jewish ownership has doubled since 1929, reaching about 1,8 million dunam. While most of the population (more than 50%) inhabit the three large cities, the rest is dispersed in more than 300 Jewish settlements, three times as many as in 1929. During 19 years more than 210 rural settlements have been set up in Palestine. The achievements in agricultural and industrial production, building, water and electricity, the educational system, science and social services, are not less impressive.

It is agreed that the Jewish Agency will be in charge of bringing the immigrants to Israel, at its own expense, through the United Jewish Appeal and the Joint. It also underwrites the expenses for the immigrants in the camps. The Provisional Council of State abolishes the British regulations restricting Jewish immigration. The main interest of the state, according to David Ben Gurion, is the absorption of immigrants. "The future of the state depends on immigration."

The Immigration Department is placed under the direction of Yitzhak Werfel (Refael) of the religious Hapoel Hamizrachi party.

He redefines the relationship with the Mossad Aliyah Bet, whose principal office is in Paris, headed by Yosef Barpal, the organizer of the first illegal vessel "Vellos" in 1934. The Mossad takes care of the transportation of the immigrants and its representatives have to submit to the Jewish Agency's authority. They also continue to plot clandestine operations in the Arab and Eastern blocs as well as other countries. Where governments do not allow Jews to emigrate, Mossad agents smuggle them out by night through mountains and forests, by camel caravans or by boats: from Morocco to Algeria, from Libya to Malta, from Iraq to Iran, from Hungary to Austria, from the Soviet sector of Vienna to the American sector.

August/September: The Zionist General Council confirms the principle of "hafrada", the separation of functions, especially in that the same persons - with the exception of Eliezer Kaplan - shall not serve in both the Jewish Agency and the government. The idea underlying the "hafrada" is, on the one hand, to leave the Jewish Agency with a well-defined sphere of activities and on the other to avoid overlapping and duplication.

December: A special committee is set up to implement the reinterment of Theodor Herzl in Israel. The members of this committee represent the State and the Zionist World Organization.

From the establishment of the state until the end of December, 102,000 immigrants stream into the country, a figure equal to total Jewish immigration during 1940-1947.

From 1929 to 1948, the Jewish Agency expends only 100 million Dollar. From 1929 to 14 May 1948, over 350,000 immigrants are brought to Eretz Israel. Some 200 settlements are built. 30,000 children and youth are rescued and brought ot be part of the Yishuv. The accomplishment of these tasks assure the infrastructure on which the State of Israel can be built. It assures that the State reborn can be defended, will be able ot mobilize the means of absorbing more immigrants, and will be viable in all decisive aspects.

The Ramat Hadassah Szold Reception Center is completed and given by Hadassah to Youth Aliyah.

Chairman of the Jewish Agency Executive: David Ben Gurion and Berl Locker.

Chairman of the Executive of the World Zionist Organization - Jewish Agency, American Section: Nahum Goldmann .

Treasurer of the Jewish Agency: Eliezer Kaplan and Dr. Israel Goldstein.

Chairman Youth Aliyah Department: Moshe Kol.

Chairman Settlement Department: Eliezer Kaplan and Levi Eshkol.

Chairman of the Immigration Department: Moshe Shapira and Yitzhak Rafael.

Chairman Absorption Department: Yehuda Braginski and Zvi Herman.

January 23: Mapam (United Workers' Party) is founded by an amalgamation of the Hashomer Hatzair and the Ahdut Haavoda - Poalei Zion parties.

February: U. S. ambassador to the UN, Warren Austin, in a speech to the Security Council, states that the partition cannot be enforced and the the Security Council is not empowered to implement the General Assembly decision on the partition.

February 15: Two new evening newspapers appear: "Maariv", formed by a group that left Yediot Aharonot and "Yom-Yom" published by Haaretz.

March: Secret meeting between U. S. president Harry S. Truman and Dr. Chaim Weizmann, who pleads for the lifting of the American arms embargo and for continued support of the partition. Truman reassures Weizmann that the U. S. favors the partition, but the arms embargo is maintained.

March 19: At a UN Security Council meeting, U. S. Ambassador Warren Austin calls for the suspension of the UN partition plan, a special session of the General Assembly to reconsider the whole problem, and a temporary trusteeship for Palestine to be established under the UN Trusteeship Council.

March 25: At a press conference, U. S. president Harry S. Truman states that despite American support for the partition plan, it cannot be implemented peacefully, and American troops are not to be used as a matter of national policy. A trusteeship is not proposed as a substitute for the partition but will temporarily fill the gap at the end of the Mandate.

April: Rechesh signs a contract with the Czech government for the purchase of 10 Messerschmitt 109 fighter planes. The contract contains a provision for the secret training of Jewish pilotes and technicians in Czechoslovakia. American volunteer instructors will train 50 to 75 pilots between May and September.

April: U. S. president Harry S. Truman tells Dr. Chaim Weizmann that if a trusteeship is not adopted by the UN General Assembly, the U. S. will recognize the Jewish state when it is established.

May: A White House meeting is called by president Harry S. Truman to advise in the U. S. recognition of Israel.

Friday, May 14, Erev Shabbat 5th Iyar 5708: David Ben Gurion convenes the Provisional Council (later to become the Knesset) and proclaims the establishment of the State of Israel in the Municipal Museum of Tel Aviv. David Ben Gurion is elected first prime minister, Dr. Chaim Weizmann president.
At 12:00 midnight, the British Mandate for Palestine expires and the State of Israel comes into being.

May 14: UN General Assembly Resolution 186: Appointment and terms of reference of a UN mediator in Palestine.

May 15: The U. S. grants full and unconditional de facto recognition of the provisional government of Israel.
David Ben Gurion addresses the nation via radio.

The British detention camps in Cyprus are opened.

May 17: The Soviet Union recognizes the State of Israel, according it full de jure diplomatic status. Other countries follow.

May: Israel names Ehud Avriel as ambassador to Czechoslovakia, its first official representative abroad.

May 21: The UN General Assembly appoints Count Folke Bernadotte, president of the Swedish Red Cross, as mediator in the Israeli-Arab conflict.

May 31: Formalities establishing the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) are completed. Two dissident organizations, Etzel and Lehi, agree to discontinue independent activities, except in Jerusalem, and to be absorbed in the IDF.

June 21: The Altalena, a vessel carrying arms for Etzel, attempts to land its cargo at the Tel Aviv shore. When Etzel refuses to hand over its weapons to the IDF, the vessel is set afire , with Etzel and IDF casualties.

June: Golda Meir is appointed Israeli ambassador in the Soviet Union.

June: Count Folke Bernadotte proposes to the Jews and the Arabs that the Negev be transfered to the Arabs, and western Galilee, already occupied by Israel during the war, be included in Israel.

June 30: The Abandoned Areas Ordinance is published.

July 17: Finance Minister Eliezer Kaplan introduces the new Israeli currency, replacing the Mandatory one: The Israeli Pound.

July 27: Induction ceremonies are held for the IDF. Army ranks are made public for the first time.

August 9: A Soviet diplomatic mission, headed by Pavel Yershov, arrives in Israel.

August 12: United States Special Representative to Israel James McDonald arrives.

September: Israel Ambassador Golda Meir arrives in Moscow. She receives a tremendous welcome from Moscow's 500,000 Jews.

September 13: The Supreme Court of the State of Israel, consisting of five justices, is inaugurated in Jerusalem. Chief Justice is Dr. Moshe Zmora.

September 17: Count Folke Bernadotte is assassinated by Yehoshua Cohen, a member of Lehi, in Jerusalem. The orders for the assassination come from Tel Aviv. One of the three people who decide upon the murder is Yitzhak Shamir. Cohen claims that Bernadotte was murdered because he proposed an Arab administration in Jerusalem.
Ralph J. Bunche succeeds Bernadotte as mediator.

Ben Gurion orders to arrest all members of Lehi and to confiscate their arms. An ultimatum, signed by Yigael Yadin, is also issued to Etzel to hand over their weapons and dissolve themselves.

September: Count Bernadotte's final report to the UN is published posthumously. It calls for recognition of Israel but advocates the transfer of the Negev area to the Arabs, incorporation of western Galilee into Israel, and placing Jerusalem under UN control.

September 14: Ben Gurion meets with all Palmach commanding officers. They agree to dissolve.

October 21: The Israeli government decides to establish a military government in the area where most of the inhabitants are Arabs. Security zones are established and permanent residents are not allowed to leave or enter without a permit. The regulations permit the military administration to remove permanent residents from the security zones and transfer them.

November 15: El Al, the Israel airline is founded. Its primary mission is to transport Jewish immigrants to Israel, mainly from Middle Eastern countries. The maiden flight brings the president of the Provisional State Council, Dr. Chaim Weizmann, from Geneva to Israel.

November 10: The UN General Assembly decides to assist the Palestinian refugees.

December 11: A UN General Assembly resolution establishes the Palestine Conciliation Commission (UNCCP) to arrange a binding peace settlement between Israel and the Arabs, to facilitate resettlement and repatriation of Arab refugees, and to formulate a plan for a permanent international regime in Jerusalem. The commission members are the U.S., France and Turkey.

The same day, the UN General Assembly adopts Resolution 194.

UN Documents 1948.

A population census brings the following results: A Jewish population of 716,768 and an Arab population of more than 65,000.

The Jewish population in the Birobidzhan region of Soviet Siberia numbers about 30.000, the largest ever for the region.

Brandeis University opens in Waltham, Massachusetts.

Rube Goldberg (1883-1970), U. S. cartoonist, wins the Pulitzer Prize for his political cartoon "Peace Today".

Cole Porter's musical "Kiss me Kate", with libretto written by Bella and Samuel Spewack, opens.

Fanny Blankers-Koen of the Netherlands is the first woman to win three Olympic track events.

June: Shortly after the establishment of the State of Israel, a pogrom takes place in Oudjda, Morocco. Many Jews sell their property or leave them behind and flee to Algeria. The French police try to stop them from crossing the border.

June: Muslims riot against Jews in the Libyan cities of Benghazi and Tripoli. Jews defend themselves and limit the losses to 14 dead.

July: Thirteen I.G. Farben representatives are sentenced by the Nürnberg Tribunal to prison terms ranging from 18 months to 8 years after having been convicted of looting conquered countries or exploiting slave labor. They are acquitted of participating in aggressive warfare.

Alfred Krupp (1907-1967) is sentenced by the Nürnberg Tribunal to 12 years of imprisonment. He is convicted of the war crimes of having looted conquered countries and exploited slave labor.

September: A Pravda article by Ilya Ehrenburg, Soviet journalist, warns of official displeasure with the public displays of Soviet Jewry's enthusiasm for Israel.

September: Shafiq Adas, an Iraqi Jewish millionaire, is hanged in Basra, having been convicted of selling surplus British army scrap metal to Israel.

October: Joseph Stalin begins the implementation of an antisemitic and anti-Zionist campaign by initiating a purge of officials friendly to Israel. The Jewish Anti-Fascist Committee is closed down as a center of subversion.

November: Itzik Fefer (1900-1952), Yiddish poet and secretary of the Soviet Union's Jewish Anti-Fascist Committee "disappears".