History from Stamps

Mail service under the Ottoman Turks in Palestine was very poor. The service was initiated in 1866, but the first post-offices were opened in Jaffa, Jerusalem and Haifa in 1870; and two years later in Gaza and Hebron. Postal service to the new Jewish Yishuvim of Petach Tikvah, Rehovot and Zichron Ya’akov were initiated between 1915 and 1917. Before that the settlers had to travel to Jaffa or Haifa for mail services.

With the entry of the British into Jerusalem in December 1917, the entire mail system was reorganized. The British saw to it that the mail service kept pace with the growth of the Yishuv which doubled in size after World War I. New post offices were built in most of the settlements. The British Military Government used the stamps which its headquarters in Egypt printed - with an overprinting of the word Palestine in English and Arabic, and in Hebrew "Eretz Yisrael." These stamps were used until 1927. Pictorial stamps were issued later on.
 
 

"Doar Ivri"

The first official stamps were issued by the Provisional Government on May 16, 1948. Printed on very poor paper by inexperienced printing shops these stamps lacked uniformity of size, color and design: the printers had been given only 24 hours to accomplish this impossible task.
 
 
 
 

Israel Philatelics since 1948

Amongst Israel’s most interesting exports are its colorful  stamps from which a collector can learn much about the country’s past and present history; its traditions and institutions of learning, it’s great men and women; it’s art and music; it’s flora and fauna, it’s landscapes, cities, towns and villages. Each year new stamps are issued based on events or anniversaries important to Israel or to the Jewish people.
 
 

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