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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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!
