"One must respect the voter's decision": Ben-Gurion's founding speech from the first elections revealed
The Ben-Gurion Heritage Institute and the Ben-Gurion Archive have revealed the historical document "To the People and the Army," a radio broadcast delivered by David Ben-Gurion two days before the first elections in 1949. The broadcast calls on citizens to vote and emphasizes the importance of respecting the voter's decision, while addressing issues of security, peace, and social cohesion. The document was revealed ahead of the 2026 elections.
The Ben-Gurion Heritage Institute and the Ben-Gurion Archive revealed today (Tuesday) a historical document: a radio broadcast delivered by David Ben-Gurion, Prime Minister and Minister of Defense in the provisional government, on January 23, 1949, two days before the first elections in the State of Israel. The broadcast, titled "To the People and the Army," calls on citizens to vote and emphasizes the importance of respecting the voter's decision. In his broadcast, Ben-Gurion addresses issues of security, peace, immigration absorption, and social cohesion, and calls on citizens to see each other as fellow citizens and partners in the state. The document was revealed ahead of the election campaign in Israel in 2026, and the article notes the continued relevance of his words. The CEO of the Ben-Gurion Heritage Institute, Eitan Donitz, stated that Ben-Gurion's words remain relevant today, reminding us that the demand for responsibility and partnership rests on every citizen.