Today is the day I have been waiting for my entire life.Without question it is the greatest day in modern Jewish history and very possibly the most significant day in the history of our people. For today is the day that a Jewish state has finally been created; we are free from the British, and Israel is born!
Today's events confirm ancient longings and modern needs. A Jewish state is the culmination of the desires of the Jewish people and is essential to the future of the Jewish people. The oppression of Jews and the destruction of their faith has been all too common and recurring. For many years we have fought to make this land ours
again, and finally our dream has come true. The Jewish people have a home, a place where any Jew, no matter their age or gender or status, is welcomed with open arms. And I, David Ben-Gurion, will serve as the first Prime Minister of our glorious nation, an honor that I never could have dreamed of.But today is not without much tension. The outlook of the country in the next few months is grim. For the Arabs of Palestine believe that this land is theirs, and they are not willing to give it up. They have treated us with much hostility over the past years. Even though this was land that was given to us by the British, they are under the impression that it belongs to no one but them. There have been many attempted negotiations, but they would not agree to anything. Needless to say, the UN partition plan of last year angered them greatly, and brought them closer to the brink of war. I believe that our Declaration of Independence will push them over the edge. We are prepared for a war in the near future.
