The Jewish Chronicle
On this day: Israel joins the UN
May 11 1949: Anonymity to recognition
May 11, 2011 08:50
By, Jennifer Lipman
1 min read
May 11 1949: Anonymity to recognition
May 11, 2011 08:50By, Jennifer Lipman
Almost a year after David Ben Gurion declared independence for the Jewish state; Israel was welcomed into the global club.
With something of a fraught relationship between the two since, it was nonetheless a positive step. Twelve countries voyted against welcoming the 59th members, including Afghanistan, India and Iraq, while nine, among them Britain, Denmark and Greece, abstained.
But with the support of 37 others, Israel became a part of the organisation that in 1947 paved the way for the Zionist dream to be realised with the partition plan vote.
The Israeli flag was raised outside the UN building almost immediately. The Dominican delegate welcomed the new member as "a new democratic nation devoted to the cause of peace."
