| Publication |
2008.
|
| Summary/Abstract |
The Emergency Committee was established on October 1947 to meet the challenges of British evacuation and the urgent needs of war. The Jewish leadership realized that the existing structure of institutional self-rule was not sufficient for coping with the demands of the new era. Fearing a total collapse of administration that could lead to governmental vacuum, it was decided to create one unified planning centre that would supervise planning and policy making of the future governmental system. Two major contributions of the committee's work towards the establishment of a new Israeli governmental system are to be noted. Firstly, on the declaration of independence (15 May 1948) the Jewish leadership had a basic blueprint for a governmental administration, covering a wide range of professional manpower and facility needs, pointing out existing strengths and weaknesses in present administrative capabilities, Secondly, during the process of planning and running essential services, the future government gained unprecedented experience in operating on a national scale during wartime.
|