Go to: May 14, 1948: Birth of Israel For Zionists, Israel was born full of promise but at war -- a disturbing premonition of the decades of turmoil to come. On May 14, 1948, following a U.N. decree ending the British mandate over Palestine and dividing it into Jewish and Arab areas, Zionist leader David Ben-Gurion declared Israel an independent state. The day marks the Jewish people's official return to the birthplace of their religion and culture. But the struggle wasn't over. Israel's Arab neighbors -- including Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq and Jordan -- rejected the U.N. plan and independence decree and invaded the new country with the declared intent of destroying it. Against the odds, the Israelis not only held their ground, but they took more ground. By July 1949, Israel had repulsed the Arab League invasion, joined the United Nations and been recognized by more than 50 countries around the world. But the tension continued to simmer, contributing to battles launched by both sides over the next five decades.