On This Day in Jewish History: October 28, 1948
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#onthisday 1948, the official flag of the State of Israel, featuring a white background with two horizontal blue stripes and the Star of David in its center – representative of the traditional tallit design (prayer shawl), was unveiled by the Israeli Provisional Council of State.
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The Council was Israel’s initial legislative body before the election of the first Knesset in 1949.
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Joseph Sprinzak was speaker, and on behalf of the Council, he proclaimed that the flag of Israel would be the same as that of the World Zionist Organization (WZO).
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There was much debate regarding whether to start with a new flag or use the existing one, as opponents toward the latter believed that doing so would cause international confusion between the State’s citizens and WZO members.
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Before the WZO flag was selected, alternative proposals were created, all featuring variations of the traditional blue-white color scheme and Star.
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One well-known proposition, for example, was Nissim Sabbah’s design that added seven yellow stars to the WZO flag design (pictured bottom left of the four here)
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Nevertheless, given the history of the flag as representing unity and Zionist strength, the WZO flag was ultimately selected
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After the UN Partition Plan had been presented in 1947, the flag was hoisted in celebration.
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Later, when Israel became a State, the flag had been used for decoration at the ceremony.
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The design for the flag is credited to David Wolffsohn, president of the WZO in the early 1900s, who used the stripes on his tallit as inspiration.
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The stripes are now understood to have a connection to Torah studies, and the Star of David symbolizes the new life of the Jewish People. Together, both elements represented the core of Israeli and Jewish tradition and future.
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