The
Flag of Israel - Description of the Israeli Flag
As the
above picture of the Israeli Flag indicates the overall
background is
white with blue
coloring
The description of
the Israeli Flag is as follows:
White Background
Blue hexagram
(six-pointed linear star) known as the The Magen David (shield
of David, or as it is more commonly known, the Star of David)
centered between two equal horizontal blue bands near the top
and bottom edges of the flag
According to
Ancient and Heraldic traditions much symbolism is associated
with colors. The colors on the Israeli flag represent the
following:
White -
peace and honesty
Blue -
vigilance, truth and loyalty, perseverance & justice
The
basic style shown in the picture of the Israeli flag is
described as Emblem -reflecting the
central design of the flag pattern
All Flag
pictures depict flags flying, from the viewer's point of view,
from left to right
The shape and flag ratio of the Israeli flag is described as
8:11
The
emblem on the Israeli flag pictures the
Star of David
The Meaning
& History of the Israeli Flag - The The Magen David gained
popularity as a symbol of Judaism when it was adopted as the
emblem of the Zionist movement in 1897
The flag of Israel
was adopted on October 28, 1948
Flag
Terminology - Did you Know ?
The design and description
uses specific flag terminology based on Heraldic principles
Animal blazons should always appear
with the heads facing the flag - staff side
The Study of the Flags is called
Vexillology
Your interest in flags makes you a
Vexillologist!
Increase your knowledge - Play the
Flag Quiz
Flag History &
Evolution:
The idea of
flying a flag grew from the requirements of ancient warfare and
the battlefield
Shields were
painted with emblems to identify Friend or Foe
Warriors
needed to know where their leaders were - the custom of carrying
a pole was adopted
An emblem
such as a shield, animal or religious device was attached to the
pole for identification
The emblems
were also used for identity and to cover suits of armour - Coats
of Arms were born
These
emblems were the forerunners of modern flags
The Romans
were the first to use a cloth flag - they were square and
fastened to cross bars at the end of spears - the idea of
fastening a flag to the side of a pole soon followed
The strict
rules of Heraldry are still used when designing an emblem and
creating a modern flag
Israeli
Flag Etiquette
Israeli Flag etiquette is very strict and is is
essential that Flag protocols and rules are followed correctly
Basic Flag
Etiquette applies to all nations, including Israeli as follows:
Etiquette relating to the order of
precedence for the flag
National Flag of
Israeli
State Flag of
Israeli
Military Flag of
Israeli (in order of creation date)
Other Flag of
Israeli
The United Nations uses alphabetical order
when presenting a national flag including the Israeli Flag. Their flag etiquette ensures
that no one country's flag has precedence over another country's
flag
The National flag of
Israeli should never be flown
above another national flag on the same staff as this would
suggest superiority, or conversely, inferiority of one flag, or
Nation, over another
The Israeli flag should never be allowed to drag
along the ground
A tattered or faded flag of
Israeli should be removed
and replaced with a new flag
Due care and
consideration must be taken to ensure that the Israeli flag is
always
flown the correct way up
A Flag of Israeli, when in such
condition that it is no longer a fitting emblem of display,
should be destroyed in a dignified way, preferably by burning in
private with all due care and respect
Terminology & Etiquette in Israeli Flag display
Hoist - the
act or function of raising the Israeli flag, as on a rope
Half Staff
or Half Mast - the Israeli flag is hoisted to half of the potential
height of the flag pole to denote grief and mourning
Performed
by first raising the Israeli flag to the top, then lowering the
Israeli Flag halfway
Distress -
denoted by flying the Israeli flag upside-down
Manner of
hoisting - The Israeli flag should be hoisted briskly and lowered
ceremoniously
No
disrespect should be shown to the Israeli flag
The Israeli flag
should never be fastened, displayed, used, or stored in such a
manner as to permit the Flag to be easily torn, soiled, or damaged in
any way
The Israeli
flag should never have placed upon it, nor on any part of it,
nor attached to it any mark, insignia, letter, word, figure,
design, picture, or drawing on the flag of any nature
The
Israeli flag should be hoisted first and lowered last
International Flag relating to Israeli
Flag usage forbids the
display of the flag of one nation above that of another nation
in time of peace
We hope that the presentation of facts and
information regarding Israeli Flag Etiquette has provided a useful
resource
Israel
Location:
Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean
Sea, between Egypt and Lebanon
Land Size of Israel
: 20,330 sq km
Climate / Weather
of Israel : temperate; hot and dry in southern and eastern
desert areas
Israeli Population
: 6,199,008 (July 2002 est.) - includes about 187,000 Israeli
settlers in the West Bank, about 20,000 in the Israeli-occupied
Golan Heights, more than 5,000 in the Gaza Strip, and fewer than
177,000 in East Jerusalem (July 2004 est.)
Israeli Capital
City: Jerusalem; note - Israel proclaimed Jerusalem as its
capital in 1950 nearly all countries maintain Embassies in Tel
Aviv
Israeli GDP: $120.6
billion (2003 est.)
Main Industries :
high-technology projects (including aviation, communications,
computer-aided design and manufactures, medical electronics),
wood and paper products, potash and phosphates, food, beverages,
and tobacco, caustic soda, cement, diamond cutting
Israeli Currency :
new Israeli shekel (ILS); note - NIS is the currency
abbreviation; ILS is the International Organization for
Standardization (ISO) code for the NIS
Main Colors of the
Israeli Flag : white with blue coloring
Commonly mis-spelt
as Isreali or Isreal
Concise History of
Israel & its Flag
1800-1500 BC
Abraham, the father of the Jewish People, lived during this era
63 BC The
Romans conquered the region
66-70 AD the
Jews stage a rebellion against the Roman rule
132-135 AD
The Romans forced the Jews to leave the region of Israel when it
then became known as Palestine
600s The
Arabs conquered the region
1000s -1200s
The Crusades when Christians tried to claim the area and
particularly Jerusalem
1800s The
Zionists start a movement to set up a Jewish state in Palestine
1900s
Conflict between the Jewish and Arab populations
1914 - 1918
WW1
1917 The
Balfour Declaration issued by Great Britain supporting the idea
of a Jewish homeland in Palestine
1939-1945
World War II and the Holocaust when approximately 6 million Jews
were killed by the Nazis
August 1945
The United States dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
1947 The
United Nations divided the region into an Arab and a Jewish
state
17 May 1948
The Nation of Israel was established
1949 Israel
take half of the Arab state
1950 The Law
of Return was passed allowing any Jew, with just a few
exceptions, to settle in Israel
1967 Israel
occupies the Gaza Strip and the West bank at the end of one of
the Israeli-Palestinian conflicts
This information focuses on the history of Israel and does not
address modern-day events
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In just a short period of time this
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The
Israeli Flag and Nation
We hope that the presentation of facts
and information regarding the Israeli Flag and Country has
provided a useful educational resource. To improve your
knowledge of Flags and Vexillology still further check out the
Flags and Nations Index and test your knowledge with our
interactive, multi-choice, picture-based Flag Trivia Quiz Game - it's fast and
it's fun! If you answer all questions correctly you will earn the
right to enter the Vexillologist Hall of Fame!
