“At the behest of our leader Herzl, I came to Basle to make preparations for the Zionist Congress. When his proposal of a white banner with seven gold stars failed to marshal a consensus, Wolffsohn stood up and said: 'Why do we have to search? Here is our national flag.' Upon which he displayed his prayer shawl and showed everyone the national flag: a white field with blue stripes along the margin. Legend even tells precisely when Wolffsohn had his brainstorm, namely, that during a meeting in Basel Herzl raised the question of the Zionist flag. Zionist tradition credits the design of the Zionist flag to David Wolffsohn. In order to examine the reasons that led to this decision, let us look for the symbolism and consider the motives which prompted the members of the Provisional Council of State first to consider replacing it and then to decide against doing so. This decision to adopt the Zionist flag to be the flag of the State of Israel reflects its power as a symbol of the spirit of the Zionist movement. broad, which form two equilateral triangles, the bases of which are parallel to the two horizontal stripes.Ģ5 Tishrei 5709 (28 October 1948) Provisional Council of State Joseph Sprinzak, Speaker In the middle of the white background, between the two blue stripes and at equal distance from each stripe is a Star of David, composed of six dark sky-blue stripes, 5.5 cm.

from the top and from the bottom of the flag. broad, over the whole length of the flag, at a distance of 15 cm. The background is white and on it are two stripes of dark sky-blue, 25 cm. The Provisional Council of State hereby proclaims that the flag of the State of Israel shall be as illustrated and described below: The flag is 220 cm. The Provisional Council of State Proclamation of the Flag of the State of Israel The dilemma continued for about six months, until the following notice was published in the Official Gazette: In May 1948, however, only a few days after the Zionist dream had become reality, the question was raised as to whether the Zionist banner should be the flag of the state or should be replaced. This flag, adopted by the first Zionist Congress in Basle in 1897, had become accepted by Jewish communities throughout the world as the emblem of Zionism and it was thus natural to use it at the official proclamation of statehood.įive-and-half months earlier - on Novemwhen the Jews of Israel had poured into the streets to celebrate the United Nations partition resolution, they too had hoisted the flag of the WZO and used it as a unifying symbol.

Israel National Symbols: Table of Contents| State Emblem| National AnthemĪt the ceremony for the Declaration of the Establishment of the State of Israel, the dais was decorated with a picture of Theodor Herzl, flanked on either side by the flag of the World Zionist Organization (WZO).

Light blue and white flag country