Hello, I'm an expert in historical studies with a focus on the Middle East. Prior to 1948, the region that is now Israel was known as the British Mandate for Palestine, established after World War I by the League of Nations. The mandate was given to the United Kingdom to administer the territory following the defeat of the Ottoman Empire.

Under British administration, the region was marked by tensions between the Jewish and Arab populations. The British Mandate was intended to facilitate the establishment of a "national home for the Jewish people" while also respecting the rights of the Arab population. However, the conflicting promises made in the Balfour Declaration and to the Arab nations, along with the influx of Jewish immigrants, led to escalating violence and unrest.

In 1947, the British government, unable to resolve the conflict, decided to refer the issue to the United Nations. The UN proposed a partition plan, which would divide the mandate into separate Jewish and Arab states. This plan was accepted by the Jewish leadership but rejected by Arab leaders.

On May 14, 1948, the day before the British Mandate was set to expire, the State of Israel was proclaimed by David Ben-Gurion, who became the first Prime Minister. The very next day, Israel was invaded by neighboring Arab states, marking the beginning of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War.

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In 1947, the newly formed United Nations accepted the idea to partition Palestine into a zone for the Jews (Israel) and a zone for the Arabs (Palestine). With this United Nations proposal, the British withdrew from the region on May 14th 1948.read more >>