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The Declaration of the Establishment of the State of Israel (excerpt), May 14, 1948:Eretz 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.
Jews strove in every successive generation to re-establish themselves in their ancient homeland... they made deserts bloom, revived the Hebrew language, built villages and towns, and created a thriving community, controlling its own economy and culture, loving peace but knowing how to defend tself...
The State of Israel ... will foster the development of the country for the benefit of all its inhabitants; it 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; it will safeguard the Holy Places of all religions; and it will be faithful to the principles of the Charter of the United Nations.
We extend our hand to all neighbouring states and their peoples in an offer of peace and good neighbourliness, and appeal to them to establish bonds of cooperation and mutual help with the sovereign Jewish people settled in its own land.
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A young Jewish settler wears an eye patch with the Israeli flag painted on it during celebrations marking Israel's 57th Independence Day in the Jewish settlement of Neve Dekalim, part of the Gush Katif bloc of settlements, in the southern Gaza Strip Thursday May 12, 2005. Thousands were visiting the Gaza settlements on the holiday in a show of solidarity with the settlers and to protest the planned evacuation.(AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)
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Jewish settlers and visitors dance during the inauguration of a new synagogue at the Jewish settlement of Kfar Darom, part of the Gush Katif bloc of settlements, in the southern Gaza Strip Thursday May 12, 2005. Thousands were visiting the Gaza settlements to join celebrations marking Israel's 57th Independence Day and to show solidarity with the settlers and to protest the evacuation the government is planing for next summer.(AP Photo/Baz Ratner)
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Israeli soldiers stand in formation during a ceremony to mark Israel's 57th Independence Day at the Presidential compound in Jerusalem Thursday May 12, 2005. (AP Photo/Pier Paolo Cito)
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Jewish settlers dance during a ceremony marking the Israel's Independence Day at Neve Dekalim settlement, a part of Gush Qatif settlement block, Gaza Strip, May 12, 2005. REUTERS/Oleg Popov
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