Original Hebrew Newspaper Reporting on the End of British Mandate in Palestine, 1948

End of British Mandate

Periodical

Davar Labour Daily, Tel Aviv. 1 July 1948. Hebrew-language newspaper. Complete issue of 4 large pages, measuring 17 × 23 inches, twice folded. This historically consequential issue of Davar documents the immediate aftermath of the end of the British Mandate in Palestine and the consolidation of Israeli sovereignty during the opening phase of the 1948 Arab–Israeli War. The prominent front-page headlines announce the formal conclusion of British rule—reporting that “the last British soldiers left yesterday”—and describe the entry of the Jewish Navy into the Port of Haifa, a moment of immense symbolic and strategic importance. Published only weeks after the May 14, 1948 declaration of the State of Israel, this issue captures a rare contemporaneous Israeli labor-Zionist perspective on decolonization, state formation, and the transfer of military and political authority. As the official newspaper of the Mapai-aligned labor movement, Davar functioned not merely as a news outlet but as a central ideological voice shaping early Israeli civic identity, workers’ culture, and political legitimacy.

This issue represents a primary-source artifact of Israeli independence, naval organization, and the dismantling of British imperial presence in the eastern Mediterranean. The reporting situates Haifa—a critical port city and former locus of British power—as a stage for the transition from mandate to statehood, underscoring the intertwined histories of labor Zionism, military mobilization, and postwar geopolitical realignment. Complete, large-format issues from this precise transitional window are increasingly scarce, particularly with legible headlines directly addressing the withdrawal of British forces and the assertion of Jewish naval control. Condition: Very good overall. Minor cuts confined to the central fold, consistent with age and original handling. Paper remains sound and complete. Overall grade: Very Good.

Item #12703

Price: $285.00