Assumes Defense Ministry Portfolio
Ben Gurion served as defense minister alongside his premiership in the provisional Israeli government.
Permanent historical records · Updated 2026-11-03
1948 in Israel
Explore 16 historical events and records for Israel in 1948.
Historical records for Israel in 1948
Sorted by month and day. Records with no month are shown last. Showing 16 of 16 unique records.
16Unique records
1 of 1Page
12Named events on this page
5Named people on this page
3Places on this page
May
Independence of Israel
Britain surrenders its mandate over Palestine
Independence of Israel
Signs the Declaration of Independence
Signs Declaration of Independence
Ben Gurion signed Israel's Declaration of Independence at the proclamation of the new state.
Invasion of Israel
The Arabs invade Israel on the day the British mandate ends
Prime Minister of Israel
1st day of the War of Independence
Orders Formation of Israeli Defense Forces
Ben Gurion's provisional government established the Israel Defense Forces by formal order, bringing armed formations under state command.
June
Orders Altalena Weapons Seizure
Ben Gurion insisted that the Irgun weapons shipment aboard the Altalena come under the authority of the new state's military command.
Other events (month unknown)
Foreign Secretary of Israel
Appointed Foreign Minister
Haganah Transition to State Army
Ben Gurion oversaw the transformation of the Haganah into the core of Israel's national armed forces.
Independence of Israel
Declares the State of Israel
Party Leader
Appointed Party Leader of the Herut Party
President of Israel
Appointed provisional President of Israel
President of Israel
Appointed President of Israel
Prime Minister of Israel
Appointed Prime Minister of Israel, 1st term
Rule of Jerusalem
Jerusalem is divided with Jordan ruling the east & Israel the west of the city
How these records were prepared
Generated from the World History Database historical_events table. Identical display records are collapsed; descriptions otherwise retain the stored text. Coverage and source quality vary. Check primary and specialist sources before citing individual historical claims.