The Jewish homeland established in 1948 is Israel. On May 14, 1948, David Ben-Gurion proclaimed the establishment of the State of Israel in Tel Aviv, shortly before the British Mandate for Palestine ended.
The declaration described Israel as a Jewish state and connected its creation with Jewish history, religious tradition, and the modern Zionist movement. The name “Israel” comes from the Hebrew Bible and traditionally refers to Jacob, whose descendants became known as the Israelites.
Israel’s creation was followed immediately by war with neighboring Arab states, including Egypt, Transjordan, Syria, Iraq, and Lebanon. A 1947 United Nations proposal had recommended partitioning Mandatory Palestine into Jewish and Arab states, but the plan was not implemented as written.
A common mix-up is confusing Israel with Zion, Palestine, or Eretz Israel. Zion is a historic and religious term, while Eretz Israel means the Land of Israel; the modern country proclaimed in 1948 is officially the State of Israel.