Resolution: On the Occasion of the 70th Anniversary of the State of Israel, the Jewish Agency's Board of Governors Reaffirms its Commitment to the Fundamental Principles of the Declaration of Independence

Whereas the Declaration of Independence was declared by the Chairman of the Jewish Agency at the time and the first Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion at the Declaration of Independence Ceremony on 5 Iyar 5708 (May 14, 1948), and it is the founding document of the establishment of the nation-state of the Jewish people in the Land of Israel, which is the State of Israel; and

Whereas the Declaration of Independence presents the historical, moral and legal basis for renewing the independence of the Jewish people in the Land of Israel and the establishment of the State of Israel: "The Land of Israel was the birthplace of the Jewish people. Here their spiritual, religious and political identity was shaped. Here they first attained to statehood, created cultural values of national and universal significance and gave to the world the eternal Book of Books"; and

Whereas the Declaration of Independence contains a chapter detailing the principles of the State of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state, inter alia, it states that the State of Israel "will be based on freedom, justice and peace as envisaged by the prophets of Israel; it will ensure complete equality of social and political rights to all its inhabitants irrespective of religion, race or sex; it will guarantee freedom of religion, conscience, language, education and culture"; and

Whereas we, the members of the Jewish Agency's Board of Governors, representatives of the Jewish people in Israel and the Diaspora, celebrate with joy and excitement the 70 years of the State of Israel's existence and wish to reiterate and reaffirm at the 70th year of the State of Israel our commitment to the unique principles of the State as expressed in the Declaration of Independence.

Therefore, we, the Jewish Agency Board of Governors, hereby reaffirm the commitment of the Jewish Agency to the fundamental principles of the State of Israel as emerging from the Declaration of Independence.

Explanatory Notes:
This year, the State of Israel marked the 70th anniversary of its founding. At that historic moment in which David Ben-Gurion stood on May 14, 1948 and read the Declaration of Independence, he ended his excited plea with the words of eternity: "We hereby declare the establishment of a Jewish state in Eretz-Israel, to be known as the State of Israel".

When David Ben-Gurion entered the hall that Friday afternoon at 4PM, he served as Chairman of the Jewish Agency for Israel. When he left the hall, he became the Prime Minister of Israel. The Declaration of Independence is the founding document of the State of Israel. The Supreme Court has noted on more than one occasion that the determinations within it characterize and determine the character of the state as a Jewish and democratic state.

On the 70th anniversary of the State of Israel, we, the Board of Governors of the Jewish Agency - representing the historic and unshakable partnership between the State of Israel and the Diaspora of the Jewish people - wish to reaffirm our commitment to the Declaration of Independence and its principles, as detailed in the proposed resolution, as an expression of solidarity with the State of Israel and recognition of the unique, democratic and egalitarian characteristics of the State of Israel.