Tikvah
Subscribe

Course · 8 Lesons · 4 hr 10 min

Declaring Israel’s Independence

Noted historian Martin Kramer transports you to the fateful days in 1948 when Israel's founders discussed, debated, and, ultimately, declared independence.

Create Your Free Account

Join Tikvah Ideas to enroll in this course today

Get Started
Martin Cramer course thumbnail

Taught By

Save

Lessons in this Course

  1. 1
    1
    00:38:54

    We Hereby Declare

    Israel's Declaration of Independence is the most important Jewish document written in two thousand years.

  2. 2
    13080097.jpg
    00:32:17

    Drafting the Declaration

    The Declaration of Independence is "a contingent document, stitched together, written against a deadline." Dr. Kramer tells the story of how Israel's founders drafted an enduring document in the middle of war.

  3. 3
    signatures (1)
    00:37:15

    Israel’s Birth Certificate and Identity Card

    Who actually declared the State of Israel, and by what authority did they do so? The questions of identity that still tear Israel apart were first debated in the fateful days of May 1948.

  4. 4
    00071706.80.87.62.0A-1024×744
    00:32:29

    The Rock of Israel

    The American Declaration of Independence contains numerous references to God. But where is God in Israel's Declaration?

  5. 5
    5
    00:36:32

    Legitimacy

    Israel's Declaration of Independence is an exercise in hasbara—making the case for a Jewish state to a skeptical world.

  6. 6
    6
    00:32:02

    Rights

    What does it mean for Israel to be a Jewish and democratic state? What rights does the Declaration affirm for both Jews and Arabs?

  7. 7
    Independence_Hall_(Israel)_P1080467 (1)
    00:33:27

    The Legacy of the Declaration

    Israel's Declaration of Independence was never meant to be a legal document. Yet, in modern Israel, it has become one. Explore the enduring legacy of the Declaration in Israeli law and society.

  8. 8
    declaration (1)
    00:07:23

    Review Israel’s Declaration of Independence

    Click here to review the full text of Israel Declaration of Independence.