Israel's Declaration of Independence: The History and Political Theory of the Nation's Founding MomentIsrael's Declaration of Independence brings to life the debates and decisions at the founding of the state of Israel. Through a presentation of the drafts of Israel's Declaration of Independence in English for the first time, Neil Rogachevsky and Dov Zigler shed new light on the dilemmas of politics, diplomacy, and values faced by Israel's leaders as they charted the path to independence and composed what became modern Israel's most important political text. The stakes began with war, state-building, strategy, and great power politics, and ascended to matters of high principle: freedom, liberty, sovereignty, rights, and religion. Using fast-paced narration of the meetings of Israel's leadership in April and May 1948, this volume tells the astonishing story of the drafting of Israel's Declaration of Independence, enriching and reframing the understanding of Israel's founding and its ideas - and tracing its legacy. |
Contents
The Origins of Israels Declaration | 19 |
Natural Rights | 43 |
Tzvi Berenson | 79 |
Herschel Lauterpachts Draft | 113 |
Moshe Shertoks Draft | 139 |
Debating the Declaration | 167 |
David BenGurion | 195 |
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Common terms and phrases
according Actions American American Declaration Arab argued argument articulated Assembly authority Basic Laws basis Begin Beham Ben-Gurion Berenson body borders British called chapter citizens Committee constitution Council course Court created creation debate decision Declaration of Independence democratic Department discussion document draft effort English equality establishment existence expressed fact final force founding freedom hand Hebrew human ideas important included Israel’s Declaration Israeli issue Jerusalem Jewish Jews justice Labor land of Israel language later Lauterpacht leaders liberty live Mandate Marshall matter meaning meeting Minhelet ha’Am natural rights Palestine party peace perhaps political possible practice present President Press principles provisional question reason recognized religion Resolution 181 rule Second seems Shertok sovereignty Theodor Herzl thought ultimately United Nations University writing wrote Yishuv York Zionist