The foundation of the State of Israel, 1948

On this page

The British mandated territory of Palestine, 1922–47

Britain was entrusted with a League of Nations mandate over Palestine in 1922. This provided an interim resolution to the power vacuum in post World War I Palestine caused by the 1917 defeat of the Turks by British forces and the subsequent collapse of the Ottoman Empire. The British task was to facilitate the partitioning of Palestine to establish a Jewish national home that did not prejudice the civil and religious rights of the Arab majority. Jewish and Arab communities were granted the right to run their internal affairs, but this was not without tensions and outbreaks of violence, which did occur during the 1920s and 1930s.

In April 1947, after failing to reconcile the conflicting demands of both the Jewish and Arab communities, Britain indicated an intention to withdraw from Palestine and requested that a permanent solution be discussed by the United Nations General Assembly. Subsequently, a United Nations Special Committee was established to draft proposals for the future of Palestine.

Under the chairmanship of the Dr HV Evatt, the Australian Minister for External Affairs, the UN Special Committee recommended the establishment of an independent Jewish State in Palestine, together with a neighbouring independent Arab State, and this was endorsed by the United Nations General Assembly in November 1947.

The State of Israel was subsequently proclaimed in Tel Aviv on 14 May 1948.

Information held by the National Archives relating to the foundation of the State of Israel is contained in the records of the then Department of External Affairs, and key overseas missions such as the Australian High Commission in London, and the Australian Mission to the United Nations. Examples of these records are listed in the table below.

Records series containing information on the foundation of Israel

Department of External Affairs, Central Office (CA 18)
Title or description of record Date range Series number
Master set of departmental briefs for, and reports on, international official talks, ministerial visits, etc 1920–ongoing A2539
Folders of UK Foreign Office prints 1923–62 A6782
Bound volumes of despatches from overseas posts 1940–ongoing A4231
Copies of top secret inward and outward cables 1940–72 A6367
Printed copies of inward cables, secret and below 1942–79 A6364
Printed copies of outward cables, secret and below 1942–79 A6366
Correspondence files 1947–47 A1068
Correspondence files 1948–89 A1838

Department of External Affairs, London (CA 1759)
Title or description of record Date range Series number
Correspondence files 1948–50 A3318
Correspondence files 1948–50 A3320

Australian High Commission, London (CA 241)
Title or description of record Date range Series number
Correspondence files 1918–60 A2910
Correspondence files 1930–52 A2908
Uncontrolled correspondence files 1945–70 A6370

Australian Mission to the United Nations (CA 2758)
Title or description of record Date range Series number
Correspondence files 1946–ongoing A5326

Record items relating to the foundation of Israel
Title or description of record Date range Series number
Israel – relations with the Arab States 1943–52 A1838, 175/11/20 Part 1
Palestine – policy 1946–49 A461, E350/1/3 Part 1
Palestine – policy 1946–49 A461, E350/1/3 Part 2
UN Security Council – Palestine – Israel 1946–49 A4534, 43/5/3 Part 1
UN Security Council – Palestine – Israel 1946–49 A4534, 43/5/3 Part 3
Israel – internal – constitutional and citizenship 1946–69 A1838, 175/1/2
United Kingdom's proposals for Palestine 1947 A5954, 1347/9
Palestine – United Nations Commission of Inquiry on – Attitude of Executive Council of Australian Jewry 1947 A434, 1947/3/5952
Palestine Commission 1947–48 A1838, TS852/20/2 Part 1
Palestine Commission 1947–48 A1838, TS852/20/2 Part 2
Palestine Commission 1947–48 A1838, TS852/20/2 Part 3
Palestine Commission 1947–48 A1838, TS852/20/2 Part 4
Palestine Commission 1947–48 A1838, TS852/20/2 Part 6
Palestine Commission 1947–48 A1838, 852/20/2 Part 5
Palestine – implications of withdrawal 1947 A5954, 1912/3
Israel – question of recognition 1948 A432, 1948/594
Israel – recognition by other countries 1948–71 A1838, 175/7/1/1
Palestine – Jewish State 1948–50 A1838, 851/12/3 Part 1
Palestine – Jewish State 1948–50 A1838, 851/12/3 Part 2
Anniversary – inauguration of State of Israel 1949 A461, AR317/1/1

Further information