First Zionist Flag 1885 (Zionist Flags, Israel)

Last modified: 2005-01-22 by santiago dotor
Keywords: zionism | star: 6 points (blue outlined) |
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by Željko Heimer
First hoisted 1885, adopted 12th November 1948 as the national flag of Israel

• Description

See also:

• Zionist Flags and other Proposals (Israel)
• Israel

According to the Encyclopaedia Judaica (published in Jerusalem, 1971), "The Zionist flag in its present form —two blue stripes on white background with a shield of David in the center— was first displayed in Rishon le-Zion in 1885". The raising of the flag in Rishon le-Zion thus predates Morris Harris' flag by more than a decade. Rishon le-Zion was the first Zionist settlement in what is now Israel. It was established in 1882.

The Encyclopaedia Judaica also says that Wolfsohn was unaware of the earlier flags used in Rishon le-Zion and (presumably) by the "Love of Zion" groups when proposing a design identical to the flags used by these.

Jan Oskar Engene, 14 May 1998

[According to] the Jewish Encyclopaedia under the word "Flag" (...) the blue and white colors were quoted first time by the poet L.A. Frankl in his poem Zivei Erez Yehuda; (...) the first Zionist flag, like the current national one, was designed by David Wolfsohn and was first hoisted in Rishon le Zion 1885 (Mr. Morris Harris created the flag, according Ms. Rebecca Rabinowitz, in 1897).

Jaume Ollé, 31 May 1998