WATCH: When the last British troops left Palestine

The Associated Press and Movietone News recently released their vast video archives on YouTube, allowing the public to freely access a million minutes worth of historical news clips dating back to 1895 — including many iconic scenes from Israel’s history.

In the summer of 1948, moviegoers in the United Kingdom would have seen this newsreel as they settled in for the feature film. In it, British tanks roll aboard transports at the port of Haifa, and Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion speaks to Israeli crowds as Israel’s flag is hoisted over the city.

The announcer, clearly sympathizing with the departing rank and file soldiers, says “the thought that a difficult and thankless job had been well-done must have mattered much less than the prospect of going home.”

As the troops march across the screen, the newscaster adds: “The Union Jack was hauled down, and the doors closed for good on the British Mandate.”