- Join the France 24 community here
- Log in
Israel: 60 years in the making
On May 8, 2008, Israel celebrates the 60th anniversary of its creation. But in a sign of the huge chasm in historical narratives, Palestinians commemorate the “Nakba,” or catastrophe, on May 15.
On May 14, 1948, David Ben Gurion, the country’s first prime minister, publicly read Israel's Proclamation of Independence. Sixty years later, Israel celebrates its anniversary on May 8, following the Hebrew calendar.
Yet, for Palestinians, this act signaled their displacement and dispossession, a catastrophe – or "nakba" – commemorated on May 15.
Four Arab-Israeli wars later, Israel is a prosperous nation, a nuclear power with a flourishing democratic political system.
However, peace remains elusive.
In the course of its history, several peace agreements have been signed – notably with neighbouring Egypt and Jordan. The Middle East crisis however remains one of the modern world’s most intractable conflicts. Terrorist attacks are common and despite decades of peace initiatives, the issue at the heart of the conflict – the creation of a viable Palestinian state – has not been resolved.
FRANCE 24 has devoted special programming, reportage, and debates to this subject.
Related links
Video
Related Content
‘Darth Vader’ demands free land from Ukrainian government
Browse all editions
FRANCE 24 PARTNERS
