The "Declaration of the Establishment of the State of Israel" was proclaimed on May 14, 1948, by David Ben-Gurion, the head of the Jewish Agency. This declaration marked the establishment of Israel as an independent state, following the end of the British Mandate in Palestine. It emphasized the historical connection of the Jewish people to the land and their right to self-determination. The declaration also called for peace and cooperation with neighboring states and assured equal rights for all inhabitants of Israel, regardless of religion or ethnicity. This event led to the first Arab-Israeli war, as neighboring Arab countries opposed the establishment of a Jewish state.