Day Tripping: May 14

Welcome To The Neighbourhood

Since World War I, the League of Nations mandated that the region of Palestine would be under British control. From the start as noted in the Balfour Declaration of 1917, Britain favoured the establishment of a Zionist, Jewish homeland. In 1937, the Peel Commission presented the option of splitting the territory into two, adding an Arab state. The Arab populace rejected the proposal and began an uprising against British rule.

Following WWII in 1947, the United Nations passed a resolution to establish a two-state solution with dissenting votes from the Arab community. Civil unrest between the two factions escalated into civil war, and following victory on this day in 1948, Israel formally declared its independence in its ancestral homeland.

The declaration’s second sentence states; “After being forcibly exiled from their land, the people kept faith with it throughout their Dispersion and never ceased to pray and hope for their return to it and the restoration in it of their political freedom.”

The document went on to extend an invitation of Jews from all parts of the Diaspora to seek ‘Alyah’, a return to their spiritual home. Israel’s declaration then stated;

“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. The State of Israel is prepared to do its share in a common effort for the advancement of the entire Middle East.”

Arab forces invaded the tiny state of Israel the following day.

For seventy-three years, the state of Israel has been forced to fight for its survival, all the while making transfer payments to the Arab League for the lands granted by the United Nations resolution. Among the signatories of the Declaration of Independence is Golda Meir (Meyerson).

“Above all, this country is our own. Nobody has to get up in the morning and worry what his neighbors think of him. Being a Jew is no problem here.” — Golda Meir

On the same day in 1986, Ann Frank’s complete diary was published by the Netherlands Institute. Her message of hope in the face of unspeakable atrocity resonates as powerfully today as ever.

Peaceful solutions to conflicts are possible. They are not when one is intent only on the annihilation of the other.

Musical Milestones

Atlantic Records hosted a 40th-anniversary celebration at Madison Square Garden in New York. The 1988 show included performances by Wilson Pickett, The Rascals, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Emerson, Lake and Palmer, yes, Genesis, The Bee Gees…and a reunion of Led Zeppelin with the late John Bonham’s son Jason on drums.

Narratives

The Cannes Film Festival premiered Francois Truffaut’s film Day for Night in 1973 which later won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film.

Over 75 million viewers tune in to NBC in 1998 to watch the two-episode finale of Seinfeld. Thirty-second commercials were sold for $2 Million each.

Remembrance

In 1998, Frank Sinatra died of a heart attack at the age of 82.

One of the most influential and most loved Bluesmen of all time, BB King passed away at 89 in 2015.

Notable Births

1921 — If the name Richard Deacon doesn’t ring a bell, you probably aren’t old enough to remember Mel Cooley from the Dick Van Dyke Show.

1969 — Australian actress Cate Blanchett is one of the most bankable stars in the world today.

1984 — The often mentioned and controversial Mark Zuckerberg

K. Barrett Katie Wallace Maria Rattray Maryam Merchant Dr Mehmet Yildiz Tree Langdon Myriam Ben Salem Phil Truman Chelsea Mandler MAT Terry Mansfield Hollie Petit, PhD. Terry Trueman Dr Preeti Singh John Gruber Bill Abbate James G Brennan ScienceDuuude Marcus Liam Ireland Claire Kelly Noorain Hassan, BMS Amy Pierovich David Acaster Nora Thewriteyard David Perlmutter Joe Luca Noah Levy

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