Flag of Israel
A white flag with a blue stripe near the top, another near the bottom, and a blue six-pointed Star of David in the middle.
At a glance
- Adopted
- October 28, 1948adopted five months after independence; based on the Zionist movement's flag used since 1897
- Shape (height : width)
- 8:11
- Continent
- Asia
- Colours
- dark sky blue
- white
What it means
- Blue stripes: the stripes of the tallit (prayer shawl)
- Star of David (Magen David): a long-used Jewish symbol; a red flag with a yellow Star of David was used by the Jews of Prague in 1648
- Blue and white: in Jewish tradition, blue is linked to God's glory and white to kindness; a claim that the stripes stand for the Nile and Euphrates rivers is a myth
Where it came from
The design looks like a tallit, the white Jewish prayer shawl with blue stripes. David Wolffsohn suggested using the tallit as the model, and a flag like this was made for the First Zionist Congress in 1897.
An earlier blue-and-white flag with a Star of David was used in the town of Rishon LeZion in 1885.
History
Israel became independent on 14 May 1948. Leaders looked at 164 proposals for a new flag, but in the end they kept the familiar Zionist flag. It was officially adopted on 28 October 1948.
Before that, Theodor Herzl, the founder of political Zionism, had proposed a white flag with seven gold stars, but it was not taken up.
Fun facts
- The official shape is 8:11, but many flags are made in 2:3.
- In 1949 soldiers raised a homemade flag drawn in ink near today's Eilat, at the southern tip of the country; it is called the "Ink Flag".
- A huge Israeli flag made in 2007 was 660 metres long and 100 metres wide.
Easy to mix up with
Greece: Greece is also blue and white but has nine stripes and a cross
El Salvador: El Salvador has blue-white-blue stripes, much wider, with a coat of arms
Questions
What does the flag of Israel look like?
A white flag with a blue stripe near the top, another near the bottom, and a blue six-pointed Star of David in the middle.
What do the colours and symbols on the flag of Israel mean?
Blue stripes: the stripes of the tallit (prayer shawl); Star of David (Magen David): a long-used Jewish symbol; a red flag with a yellow Star of David was used by the Jews of Prague in 1648; Blue and white: in Jewish tradition, blue is linked to God's glory and white to kindness; a claim that the stripes stand for the Nile and Euphrates rivers is a myth.
When was the flag of Israel adopted?
The current flag of Israel was adopted on October 28, 1948. (adopted five months after independence; based on the Zionist movement's flag used since 1897)
What colours are on the flag of Israel?
The flag of Israel uses dark sky blue and white.
Which flag is easy to mix up with the flag of Israel?
It is easy to mix up with the flag of Greece. Greece is also blue and white but has nine stripes and a cross
Famous landmarks in Israel
🎯 Play the flag quiz 🌍 Play the globe
Sources
- en.wikipedia.org
- crwflags.com
- Flag picture: flagcdn.com (Wikimedia Commons)