Rare Diary Entry Reveals Ben-Gurion’s Fears on Israel’s Founding Day

A newly revealed handwritten diary excerpt by David Ben-Gurion, penned on May 14, 1948, offers an unprecedented glimpse into the inner world of Israel’s founding father on the day the Jewish state was born.

Unveiled by the Ben-Gurion Heritage Institute and the Ben-Gurion Archives ahead of Israel’s 77th Independence Day, the discovery sheds light on a leader weighed down by existential fears even as the nation celebrated.

"In the afternoon at four o'clock, Jewish independence was declared and the state was established. Its fate is in the hands of the security forces," Ben-Gurion recorded. Far from triumphalism, his entry spoke of grim reports: armored enemy forces, the bombing of Tel Aviv, and critical internal disputes over military strategy.

"Almost all the General Staff opposed my opinion to attack more forcefully and aggressively to capture the areas around the Tel Aviv–Jerusalem road," Ben-Gurion lamented. "I feel they missed and are missing the decisive conquest that would determine the fate of Jerusalem and possibly the outcome of the entire campaign."

An earlier diary volume closed with a similar tone after the UN partition plan vote in 1947: "The land rejoices and there is profound joy but again I am mourning among the celebrants." This rare consistency reveals Ben-Gurion’s steadfast understanding that statehood marked the start of a new, perilous journey, not its end.

Eitan Donitz, CEO of the Ben-Gurion Heritage Institute, described the find as "history in its purest form." He emphasized that the diary fragment allows readers to experience the fragile emotions behind the historic moment, moving beyond dry facts to encounter a leader's fears, hopes, and burdens.

The Institute expressed optimism that by next Independence Day, the missing original diary notebook would also surface, joining other recovered treasures such as Ben-Gurion’s 1947 pocket diary.

The discovery underscores a crucial truth: the founding of Israel was a miracle tempered by immediate peril a reality that Ben-Gurion, in his clear and anxious handwriting, understood profoundly.

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