1948 Palestinian declaration of independence

The 1948 Palestinian declaration of independence was proclaimed by the Palestinian National Council convened in Gaza City on 1 October 1948. The declaration was recognized by Arab countries. The Arab League encouraged its member states to recognize the Palestinian government in Gaza. This was the first occasion that the Palestinians took the initiative to achieve national independence. Due to the conflicting interests of Arab nations, particularly between the Kingdom of Egypt and the Kingdom of Jordan under Abdullah I, who sought to incorporate sections of Palestine, the government quickly deteriorated, resulting in the declaration of independence becoming ineffective.

Background

After 1948, the Palestinians became more dependent on Arab countries than ever before. Only in 1964 was a political entity (PLO) established that enjoyed relative independence.

Flag

The government also approved the flag of the new state to be the flag of the Arab Revolt of 1916.

International recognition

Country	Date
Egypt	12 October 1948
Iraq	12 October 1948
Syria	1948
Lebanon	1948
Afghanistan	?

Reactions

The United States Government considers the establishment of a “Palestinian Arab Government” under current circumstances to be unjust to a successful solution to the Palestinian problem as well as to the best interests of the Arab countries and the Arab residents of Palestine.

Aftermath

In response to the Palestinian National Council, Abdullah I held a Palestinian counter-conference in Jericho on December 1, 1948. The conference adopted a resolution to unequivocally support unity between the two banks of Jordan.

On January 27, 1949, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the All-Palestine Government sent a memorandum to the General Secretariat of the League expressing its protest about the League's failure to adhere to its promise “to provide financial support in order to enable the government to perform its duties.”

As a sign of recognition, Hilmi Abdel Baqi, in his capacity as Prime Minister of the All-Palestine Government, participated in the tenth session of the League Council held in Cairo on March 17–21, 1949. However, the Arab League later refrained from inviting Ahmed Hilmi to attend the eleventh session between October 17, 1949, and February 15, 1950, mainly due to opposition to Abdullah's government in Jordan. In a memorandum sent to the General Secretariat, the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed its strong protest against not being invited to the League session. During 1951, the All-Palestinian Government continued to decline, as most or all of its members stepped down or found positions in Arab countries.