Flag of Israel

What the flag means

The blue stripes on white follow the pattern of the tallit, the Jewish prayer shawl. The Star of David (Magen David) had been used by Jews as a symbol for centuries and was taken up by early Zionist groups such as Bilu and Hovevei Zion in 1881. The official text describes the blue as 'dark sky-blue'.

History

The design is that of the Zionist movement's flag. David Wolffsohn wrote that he proposed a blue and white design, based on the tallit, for the First Zionist Congress in 1897. In May 1948 the Provisional Council of State received 164 proposals for a state flag. It first wanted a design different from the Zionist flag, to avoid charges of dual loyalty against Jews abroad, but on 14 October 1948 it chose the Zionist flag. The proclamation was signed on 28 October 1948 and published on 12 November 1948.

Rishon LeZion used a blue and white flag designed in 1885 by Israel Belkind and Fanny Abramovitch as its town flag until 1958.

Flags of Israel's neighbours

• Egypt
• Jordan
• Lebanon
• Palestine
• Syria