On May 14, 1948, at 4:00 p.m., an historic event was about to occur. The leaders of the Jewish community in what was then called Palestine gathered in the Tel Aviv Museum on Rothschild Blvd., Tel Aviv, to declare the establishment of an old/new country - the STATE OF ISRAEL. The Middle East, and especially the Land of Israel, have always been the focus of intense worldwide media attention. We have attempted to communicate, in this publication, what the media reported on that historic day, fifty years ago.

The world press reported the establishment of the new state, as it would report its various struggles and achievements over the years to come. The headlines proclaiming Israel's establishment all convey, in their different styles and languages, the fascinating and exciting moment in which a new nation is formed.

The first countries to recognize Israel were the USA and the USSR, and they are first in order of appearance. All other countries are arranged alphabetically. Some of the newspapers whose headlines are included in this collection no longer exist, the names of some are missing, and the quality of these fifty-year-old publications is at times less than ideal. We nonetheless hope that the following collection provides a unique viewpoint of Israel's first days.

ISRAEL

UNITED STATES	USSR
ARGENTINA	AUSTRIA
BRASIL	CANADA
CHINA	CZECHOSLOVAKIA
EIRE	FRANCE
GERMANY	GREAT BRITAIN
JAPAN	THE NETHERLANDS
PORTUGAL	SPAIN
NORWAY	SWITZERLAND
TURKEY	VIETNAM