How Did Israel Get Its Name?

Today is Israeli Independence Day – Yom Ha’atzmaut on the Hebrew calendar, but why is the Jewish state called Israel? When David Ben-Gurion made the announcement on May 14, 1948, the name of the new country came as a surprise. Writing in The Times of Israel, Martin Kramer explains how it happened. Here is the gist:

On May 14, 1948, David Ben-Gurion declared statehood in the old Tel Aviv Museum, now Independence Hall, on Rothschild Boulevard. The climax was this sentence: “We hereby declare the establishment of a Jewish state in Eretz-Israel, to be known as the State of Israel.” This was the applause line, the culmination, and the naming of the state.

Until that moment, very few people knew what the state would be called. In the various drafts of the declaration, the space for the name was left blank. When the diplomats of the Jewish Agency in Washington went to secure an advance promise of recognition for the state, they couldn’t tell the Americans what the name would be.

As Clark Clifford, Truman’s legal advisor, later recalled: “The name ‘Israel’ was as yet unknown, and most of us assumed the new nation would be called ‘Judaea.’” The letter prepared for Harry Truman on May 14, extending recognition, was typed as follows: “The United States recognizes the provisional government as the de facto authority of the new Jewish state.” Some hand crossed out “Jewish state” and wrote in its place “State of Israel.”

You can read Kramer’s entire article here (including an image of Truman’s typewritten letter extending recognition, with the name “Israel” added in someone’s handwriting).

Comments

[Guest]

The name Israel is Biblical. Read Bereshit (Genesis). Jacob, grandson of Avraham, left the Land of Israel (Canaan) when his brother Eisav wanted to kill him since Jacob had received the Blessings of their father Issac. He was told by his mother Rebekah to seek refuge in her family's home in Padan Aram. There he met Rachel and was "taken in" by Lavan, Rebekah's father. Jacob worked for his father in law for chump change and was cheated by Lavan (whose daughters Jacob marries - recall the last minute switch of Leah for Rachel). Jacob had gone to Padam Aram to escape from his brother Eisav at his mother's advice. After about 20 years (if I recall correctly) Jacob decided it was time to return with his wives and children to his home in the Land of Israel. Jacob was extremely fearful of meeting Eisav who basically took out a contract on Jacob and wanted to kill him. The night before he was to re-emter the Land of Israel he wrestled with the angel of Eisav (whether this was physical, spiritual a combination or a prophetic glimse into the future is for the reader to explore) and here is the significant factor - Jacob won and refused to release the angel from his grip - until Eisav's angel would bless him. The angel of Eisav did so - the angel changed Jacob's name from Jacob to Israel - a fighter who sucessfully defended himself. The angel literally says to him "you fought and won". When he met Eisav shortly thereafter, Eisav was in fact fearful of Israel (no longer Jacob). Eisav subsequently high tailed it out of the Land of Israel. It can be argued that his time with Lavan represented the Jews' exile and that only upon returning to the Land of Israel did physical strength return to them. With the hindsight of a historical perspective, immense suffering but now immense military power, this view merits serious contemplation for those interested.

[Where?]

Why would they call it Judaea? They didn't get most of that back till 1967... They were socialist nitwits, but not ahistorical ones.