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Miscellaneous Flags (Israel)

Last modified: 2023-08-26 by martin karner
Keywords: israel | menorah | banknote | anniversary |
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Flag with Coat-of-Arms

[Unidentified Flag with Coat-of-Arms (Israel)] image by Dov Gutterman and Željko Heimer

One of the unique discoveries of my 18 September 2001 [municipalities flags] tour was a flag that was hoisted in Zefat city hall. Beside the municipal flag and the national flag, there was a white flag charged with the national emblem in reversed colours. I never saw such a flag before anywhere. Here is a photo.
Dov Gutterman, 28 September 2001

Flags on an Israeli banknote

I saw the new Israeli banknote of 20 New Sheqalim showing the Israeli flag, but it also shows some (at least two) other flags in the background. This might be flags from the United Nations building in New York, or something of the sort. One seems to be an Argentine flag, but the image is too bad to identify anything for certain.
Željko Heimer, 13 May 1999

Could it be a symbol of Israel being recognized among the independent nations of the world? It would then make perfect sense to use common colourless patterns for the flags in the back, so they would just mean realistic, yet unidentifiable, "other nations". Notice that none of the flags except the Israeli one can be immediately identified for sure. Obviously, this is on purpose.
Pierre Gay, 13 May 1999

The new 20 INS note is dedicated (as was the old one) to Moshe Sharet, the first Foreign Minister and the second Prime Minister of Israel. The note commemorates the event that took place on May 11th 1949 when Israel was accepted as UN member and Mr. Sharet was honoured by raising the Israeli flag. Since the flag order at the UN follows the alphabetical order, in the original picture you can see the flags of Iceland and India. I think that in designing the new bill, the designers preferred not to show actual flags and therefore the bill includes some symbolic, imaginary flags.
Dov Gutterman, 13 May 1999

Flags in the Jewish Encyclopedia

I have access to some parts of the Jewish Encyclopedia and other Israeli documentation and there is several vex information:

  • In the word Molcho, Salomon, show the image of the banner that carried Salomon Molcho on his mission to Emperor Charles V at Regensburg in 1532 (Prague, State Jewish Museum).
  • In the word Flag is a description of the tribes flags and a banner of the Prague Jewish Community presented by its rabbi Mordecai Meisel 1592 (same Museum).
  • In the burial of Herzl 1949, the coffin was covered by a white fabric with blue (?) Hebrew inscription, and also with a unknown flag, probably blue with a circle of seven six pointed (white or golden) stars.
  • More photos: a Jewish sailor raising the flag on a Jewish ship: the flag is probably white with two opposed triangles (blue) that form the David star, and within a sign similar to the letter 'O'.
  • Also a drawing of a banner of Jewish Battalions in Palestine: like the current national flag but stylized star and black inscriptions: near hoist Jewish Battalions and below in Palestine; at fly I assume that the same inscription but with Hebrew characters.
  • Other flag show in the word Ha-shomer Ha-za'ir: The Ha-Shomer white standard with small Union Flag in the upper fly part, and Hebrew inscription (By blood and fire Judea fell; by blood and fire Judea shall rise).
  • At end, in photo of the official opening of Israel's 25th anniversary celebrations by President Shazar, show the flags of 12 tribes (only 10 visible in the b/w photo).

Jaume Ollé, 31 May 1998

Ethiopian Jews

Is it true that the Falacha community use a blue flag with inscriptions or emblem?
Jaume Ollé, 22 February 1999

I guess you mean the Ethiopian Jews who insist that they be not called Falaches, since the Falaches (really Falach-Mura) are those who converted to Christianity and are no longer part of the Ethiopian Jews community. I don't know about any flag of them. There is no official or known flag of the community.
Dov Gutterman, 27 February 1999

The Light-Flag

A blogger I know posts pictures of an Israeli flag made of lights (for Tuesday's Memorial Day and Wednesday's Independence Day celebrations) in Tel Aviv at ajhistory.blogspot.com [pictures not retrievable].
Nathan Lamm, 2 May 2006

For those who are not familiar with it, we celebrate it according to the Hebrew calendar, so even thou it was on 14 May 1948, we celebrate it on He BeIyar (5th day of the eighth month).
The building in the photo is the city hall of Tel-Aviv and I can assure you that in reality the lights are blue and white ... Better photo at maxvps019.maximumasp.com [picture not retrievable – we would be happy for sending us one].
Few words about the flag. This flag is claimed to be the biggest light-flag in the world. It is situated on the southern wall of Tel Aviv city hall facing Rabin Square and is made of 580,000 bulbs. It is called Lights of Hope' Flag, and the bulbs was lightened gradually in the past month. Each bulb represent a donation of 18 NIS (~4 US$) for ELEM (organization for youth in danger). The number 18 (in Hebrew hai, it also means to live) is symbolic.
Dov Gutterman, 3 May 2006

Eretz Israel flag (Biblical prophecy)

image located by William Garrison

A white-field flag with a blue-colored outline of apparently the city of Jerusalem, with the blue Star of David in the center (similar to the Israeli National Flag), with a crown [and a Third Temple gate].
William Garrison, 10 May 2022

This flag may belong to a political/religious party, but, more importantly, it reflects an idea and aspiration of several extremist and ultra-orthodox groups in Israel and in the United States. Here is the explanation of the elements, all of which are from an imaginary/aspirational future, and have no official codification:

  1. The crown is "Messianic" or "King David".
  2. The "gate" is actually the "Third Temple" that extremists believe must replace the Al-Aqsa mosque and Dome of the Rock shrine in the Noble Sanctuary (Temple Mount) in Jerusalem. The first temple was allegedly Solomons. The second was Herods reconstruction, and destroyed by the Romans in the Jewish war of 66–73 CE (This narrative overlooks a much more complicated history involving other temples and disputed locations).
  3. The map is a crude representation of Eretz (Great, or Greater) Israel, which several Bible verses describe as "from the river of Egypt to the Euphrates." Again, extremists and their maps don't agree on the exact borders, but the western side is the Mediterranean and Nile (or Suez Canal). The top of the triangle is mostly the Euphrates. The bottom of the triangle is an arbitrary line across Saudi Arabia from Egypt to the mouth of the Euphrates. Thus, the territory depicted includes present Israel, occupied West Bank, Lebanon, Jordan, most of Syria, a large chunk of Iraq, Kuwait, a big slice of Saudi Arabia, and part of Egypt (always including all of the Sinai Peninsula).
Some believe that Eretz Israel represents a restoration of the fullest extent of the kingdom in Solomon's time. The problem is that there is zero evidence for the existence of Solomon, and whatever proto-Israel/Judah state (tributary to the Egyptian and Assyrian empires) existed around that time was smaller than modern Israel. Some modern politicians have a much more territorially-conservative vision of Eretz Israel, i.e. Israel plus the West Bank, and sometimes the Golan Heights. This area is also often called "Judea and Samaria," which can be interpreted as a sly way of signaling that its adherents really do believe in the more grandiose Eretz Israel.
I think it is premature to link this flag decisively to Temple Mount Faithful or Chabad (The other main organizations in this movement are Temple Institute and Return to the Mount).
A 2013 poll commissioned by the Joint Forum of Temple Mount Organizations found that 30% of Israeli Jews want a Third Temple on Temple Mount. The Third Temple Movement has only grown in numbers and influence since then, moving from fringe to mainstream politics. It also has strong support from about half of American evangelicals, for whom a Third Temple is central to their end-times theology. Thus, the flag might also represent an American organization dedicated to this cause.

T. F. Mills, 26 June 2022

    
images located by Pete Loeser

Todd Mills has nailed it. For those needing a better visual of the "Eretz Yisrael Greater Israel", I located these maps once I knew what to look for (Open Clip Art #1 and Open Clip Art #2).
Pete Loeser, 27 June 2022

As Todd Mills mentions, the borders on the flag are based on Biblical texts which describe prophetically the outlines of Israel in the future Messianic Kingdom (Jewish term) or Millennial Kingdom (Christian term). The passages with a general description of the borders are: Genesis 15:18–21, Deuteronomy 1:7 and 11:24; the passages with a more detailed description: Numbers 34:1–15 and Ezekiel 47:13–20. He also points out correctly that since the flag references to the Old Testament (Jewish term: Tanakh), we can't say if it has a Jewish or Christian context, without further information.
Martin Karner, 14 June 2023

70th Anniversary of Israel flag (Poland)

[70th anniversary flag] image located by William Garrison

A white-field flag with the Israeli flag in the center, surrounded by two concentric rings with the blue lettering "ISRAEL | 70 YEARS", a menorah and the star of David. Photo of a gathering in Poland, probably in 2018 (Source: notesfrompoland.com, original picture).
located by William Garrison, 21 February 2023

Israel-Ulster Unionist flag (Northern Ireland)

[Ulster-Israel flag] image located by William Garrison

The "Israel-Ulster" flag: being the national flag of Israel with "Unionist" Northern Ireland imagery on it. Pro-Ireland (anti-UK), re-unification "Nationalist" Northern Irelanders frequently wave Palestinian flags at football/soccer matches. Some claim that the pro-UK "Unionist" or "Loyalist" community in Northern Ireland hold a lot support for Israel, if for no other reason than the "Nationalists" seem to favor Palestine. This pro-Israel flag is being sold in a Northern Irish flag shop as the "Israel-Ulster" flag. Some may find the Christian cross atop the British crown upon this Israeli flag as being a little unusual/controversial (others may critique that the artwork is rather gaudy overall anyway).
William Garrison, 7 March 2023

This video from the Israeli news channel i24 gives a bit context to that matter: Northern Irish Catholics Burn Israeli Flags.
Martin Karner, 8 March 2023

Jerusalem flag with diagonally positioned design – only in Israel?

[jerusalem flag] image located by William Garrison

We understand what it means when a flag is shown as being either "horizontal" or "vertical". Please view the above Jerusalem flag, it is neither – sort of a 45-degree NW-diagonal angle.
FOTW dictionary does use "ascending diagonal" (to the NE) but lists no "descending diagonal" or "diagonal". A flag whose shield/logo has been rotated approximately 45 degrees towards the northwest can be readily viewed when that flag is hung limp on a flag pole.
William Garrison, 22 April 2023

We certainly can talk about the sense of turning a flag emblem into the diagonal position in order to become more photogenic when the flag is displayed standing or hanging limp. Is an artificial diagonal design still compatible with the original purpose and meaning of a flag? (Such flags never can be used by carrying them or fly them outside) I'm not able now to give a definite answer to this question, but perhaps I have an explanation as to why the idea of the diagonal design could gain ground in Israel. Looking at Israeli national flags hanging limp (picture, source) makes it clear that the six-pointed Star of David is mostly in an upright position by nature. Every 60 degrees it stands upright which is quite convenient when displaying the flag in a standig or limp position. Maybe this inspired some flag makers to create other flags with a diagonal design.
Martin Karner, 2 May 2023

See also:   Ministry of Health – Variant with rotated design

George "Buzz" Beurling's personal flag on TV program

[Buzz Beurling's flag] image located by William Garrison

This flag appeared in the "Air Aces – George Beurling" television program, Season 1, Ep. 1; c. spring 2023. The program was unclear in noting where this flag was being flown: either on Malta or in Israel. Recently I emailed the "National Library of Israel" in Jerusalem and asked if they had any information about this flag; although several staff members were asked, none could identify it.
Story info: This flag appeared in the aforesaid program at about the 41:49 mark into the 45-minute-long program. Flight Lieutenant George Beurling was recognized as "Canada's most famous hero of the Second World War", as "The Falcon of Malta", where he flew in action. Malta island is located in the Mediterranean Sea just south of Italy. An announcer in this program commented: "In 1947 Israel is looking for people to come and help them in the war against Palestine." Technically, in 1947 there was no independent Israel yet in the then-"British Mandate of Palestine" (Israel became independent in May 1948). Around the 41:49 mark in this film the narrator is talking about Jewish war refugees on Malta, who were trying to sail to Palestine-Israel. The film is unclear as to where this flag is being flown. In the design of the letter "B", the top half is slightly smaller than the lower half. Therefore, if "BB" is read properly, then the stripe is at the top of the flag. Looking at the photos, it is clear that there is only one stripe on this flag, not two as on the regular Israeli flag. Unfortunately, I do not know what was the purpose for the use of this flag.
William Garrison, 17 July 2023

I think this flag does have two coloured stripes, although the bottom one may be a different colour from the top one.
Rob Raeside, 17 July 2023

That is George Frederick "Buzz" Beurling's personal flag (BB = Buzz Beurling). The documentary Above and Beyond tells the story of the Machal (overseas volunteers who fought alongside Israeli forces during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War). It also tells a sideline story of the smuggling of aircrafts for the would-be Israel Air Force, in which Beurling perished.
Esteban Rivera, 18 July 2023

"Taiwan loves Israel" flag

["Taiwan loves Israel" flag] image located by William Garrison

A "Jesus | Taiwan loves Israel" flag that mimics the national flag of Israel along with the national flag of Taiwan (Republic of China) inserted to the left of the Star of David. A flag of evangelical Taiwanese Christians in Jerusalem; September 2015.
Original caption: "Evangelical Christians in Jerusalem, on September 29, 2015. Credit: Olivier Fitoussi" (source: haaretz.com [with paywall], picture)
William Garrison, 18 August 2023

U.S.-Israel friendship flag

[US-Israel friendship flag] image located by William Garrison

One of the better examples of a combined friendship flag. Here Israeli protesters are showing a US-Israel flag outside the US consulate in Tel Aviv. The intention of the protesters was quite probably not just to commemorate the US-Israeli friendship, but to remind both their governments of the democratic principles that israel shares with the United States and which the protesters see as endangered.
Original caption: "Israelis wave Israeli and American flags as they protest the coalition's judicial overhaul legislation, outside the US consulate in Tel Aviv, March 7, 2023. (Tomer Neuberg/Flash90)" (source, picture)
located by William Garrison, 19 August 2023

Anti-Israel flag (Iran)

[anti-Israel flag] image located by William Garrison

Picture caption: "A printed flag mimicking that of Israel that has four black bottom-of-boot prints trampling atop the Israeli flag along with a black-ink Farsi slogan printed on the bottom white stripe with the Farsi/Persian words Marg Bar Israel or 'Death to Israel' in Tehran, Iran, 15 August 2020." (source: shutterstock.com)
located by William Garrison, 21 August 2023

See also:   Anti-Israel flags (Iran)