David Ben-Gurion played a vital role in the establishment of the state of Israel. As a key leader of the Jewish community in Palestine, he was instrumental in advocating for Jewish self-determination, particularly during World War II and the Holocaust. Ben-Gurion served as the head of the Jewish Agency and was a proponent of Jewish immigration to Palestine. On May 14, 1948, he declared the independence of Israel and became its first Prime Minister. His leadership during the subsequent Arab-Israeli War solidified Israel's existence as a sovereign state, making him a central figure in modern Israeli history.