Emile Durkheim - Sociologist (1997)

Postage stamps and postal history of Israel

The postage stamps and postal history of Israel is a survey of the postage stamps issued by the state of Israel, and its postal history, since independence was proclaimed on May 14, 1948. The first postage stamps were issued two days later on May 16, 1948.[1] Pre-1948 postal history is discussed in postage stamps and postal history of Palestine.
Contents

Historical context

The postal history of Israel builds upon the centuries-long development of postal services in Palestine. During the rule of the Mamluks, mounted mail service was operated in Deir el-Balah, Lydda and other towns on the Cairo to Damascus route.[2] During the Ottoman period, postal services relied upon Turkey's stamps (Palestine FAQ). Foreign consulates set up the early post offices.[3] During World War I, the British Egyptian Expeditionary Force occupied Palestine and demarcated stamps as "E.E.F." in 1918.

During the British mandate, postage stamps and services were provided by British authorities. From 1933-1948, mandate services included airmail stamps[4] and, as an innovation, air letter cards. British postal offices and operations were, in part, turned over to the Israeli government.[5] In May 1948, as the British withdrew and postal services broke down, the provisional government issued overprints on Jewish National Fund stamps and ad hoc postage was created in Nahariya and Safed.

Postal history

In 1948, stamps were issued by Israel Post the Israeli postal operator. Because Saturday is a day of rest, Sunday, May 16, was the first business day after independence was declared on which stamps could be sold.[6] The first set of stamps was entitled Doar Ivri ("Hebrew Post") because the country's name had not yet been chosen.[7] The first set of definitive stamps included values of 3, 5, 10, 15, 20, 50, 250, 500, and 1000 mils. The stamps were printed by letterpress, perforated or as a rouletted variation, and with Israel's emblematic "tabs" with marginalia about the stamp. Stamp booklets were issued for the 5, 10, 15 and 20 mil stamps.[8] The Doar Ivri stamps were designed by Otte Wallish using ancient coins from the First Jewish-Roman War and later Bar Kochba revolt (as pictured at top of article).

Israeli stamps are trilingual, in Arabic, English and Hebrew, following the practice of the British Mandate of Palestine (as required by the League of Nations). Israel Post first issued postage due stamps, tete-beche and gutter pairs in 1948, airmail stamps in 1950, service stamps, for government offices, in 1951 and provisional stamps in 1960.[9] The tabs have gone through three unofficial phases. From 1948 to 1954, the tabs were written in Hebrew (with four exceptions: the Maccabia, Israel Bonds, Zionist Congress and Z.O.A. stamps). From 1954 until 1967, the inscriptions were usually in Hebrew and French. Since 1967, the tabs are typically Hebrew and English. Rarely, a tab is matched with the wrong stamp, as with two mix-ups on some Doar Ivri stamps.[10]

From the outset, Israel created its own commemorative cancellations, including a first day cancel for the new Doar Ivri on May 16, 1948, and cancels for the Maccabiah Games and its major cities the same year.[11] By 1960, more than 325 unique postmarks had been designed.[12] Beginning with the Doar Ivri stamps, too, Israel has provided first day covers. For instance, on July 5, 1967, a first day cover featuring Moshe Dayan was issued from the new post office in Jerusalem, soon after the Six Day War.[13]

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