European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 02, 1968, Darmstadt, Hesse By Joseph w Grigg up staff writer Israel today will care Blanc its birth20 years ago As the first Independent jewish state in nearly 2,000 years. For israelis the Celebration is one of ride and Joy in the nation s survival and growth but there Are shadows too on the occasion. Twenty years of Independent state Hood have made Israel a nation. But it remains a nation in arms and with it guard up. Israeli troops still stand watch on these canal on the Banks of the Jordan River and on Syria s Golan s Arab neighbors Defeated in three wars in the Span of a generation still refuse to make peace or even to recognize its tiny jewish state that got its in dependence 20 years ago has become the strongest and most feared military Power in the Middle East. Israeli Force still occupy Arab territories they conquered in the six Day War last Jun that Are More than twice the area of Israel the 2 5 million jews of Israel can not forget they Are surrounded by 100million hostile arabs still pledged to de stroy them. Arab guerrillas still strike with bullets bombs and land mines. Is Rael is unable to relax its the festivities today will hang the sobering thought that Only 15 Miles East of Jerusalem Arabel Fatah guerrillas Lurk ready to strike across the Jordan River and that after 20 years of nation Hood Israel has not yet found peace. It was at 4 o clock on the Sabbath eve of May 14, 1948, that a diminutive figure with a balding head und a foam ing fringe of Snow White hair stood up before u Bank of microphones in Tel Aviv s Small municipal museum and read aloud a historic 979-word Declara Tion proclaiming lie birth of inde pendent to the jewish Calendar the Date was the fifth Day of the month Olyar 5708. Because of a difference be tween jewish and Christian reckoning the 20th anniversary Day this year Falls on May 2.the Little Man of 61 was David Ben Gurion an immigrant from East Poland who for More than 40 years had devoted himself with total single mindedness to bringing to reality the dream of a jew ish National Home in , who soon was to become first prime minister of the new state lives in retirement today on a Kibbutz communal farm at see Boker deep inthe Negev desert. He has broken Politi Cally in his old age with most of his former associates. Since the death of his wife Paula in january he has shunned the limelight. When a. G.", As he is known to his fellow countrymen read the Declara Tion of Independence 20 years ago Noth ing was less sure than that the infant state could the beginning of the 20th Cen Tury zionist immigration into Palestine had been proceeding sporadically. In the 1917 Balfour do Claravon the British who at that ume were just about to wrest Palestine from the turks pro claimed their support for the Ideal of a jewish National Homo in the holy arabs had constituted the Over whelming majority of the population of Palestine since the 7th Century. They opposed with growing violence any mass immigration of jews. The British who governed Palestine from 1922 under a league of nations mandate tried to keep the peace be tween arabs and jews. But rioting and killings Between the two communities minted increasingly. A truce during orld War ii was followed by eve greater violence. The Western world horrified by Tho Slaughter of 6 million european jews by the nazis regarded mass migration of the survivors to a thursday May 2, 1968 in the beginning years of Israel s existence immigrants flocked in today the flow has largely dried up. Up 2o years of War and uneasy peace Lestine As the obvious Way of making amends. The arabs revolted against such solution. Under mounting pressure from them the British sought to restrict jew ish immigration. Finally in despair Britain bounced the whole problem into the Lap of the United nations. In november 1917, the . Voted the state of Israel is an irregular narrow strip of land on the Eastern Shore of the Mediterranean some 265 Miles Long stretch ing from the Hills of Galilee in the North to the red sea Porto Eilat Elath in the South. Its total area is 7,992.6 Square Miles. Its land frontiers Are 590 Miles Long and its sea coast 123 Miles Long. It also has a 35-mile coastline on the landlocked dead sea. North of Tel Aviv Israel is Only 12 Miles wide. At its broadest South of Beersheba Israel is 70 Miles across. The highest Point in the country is it. ,692 it. Tall in the North. Sodom on the dead sea is 1.28b it. Below sea level and the lowest Point on the Earth s surface. To partition Palestine Between jewish and Arab states. The British were Given eight months to get out. On the morning of May 14. 1948, thelast British troops embarked at Haifa. Jerusalem already was under Ara siege. The same afternoon Ben Gurion proclaimed the fledgling state of Israel. The arabs moved in quickly for what they confidently expected would be the kill. The combined armies of , Syria Iraq and Lebanon invaded the jewish state. But the Vastl outnumbered outgunned jews fought the arabs to a standstill and then drove them Back across their Borders. Early the following year armistice agree ments were signed Between Israel and the arabs. Twice again since then Israel has on Puyt l j Jordan Aqaba Saud Arab a Arabia Keystone David Ben Gurion proclaimed state. Stages of Israel s existence. Shaded portions indicate areas occupied in 1967. The stars and stripes Page 11
