After Israel became an independent state, the country's prime minister delivered a speech to citizens; the text contained words on national attributes: “Our flag is a symbol of the Jewish people’s desire for freedom, equality and independence. It should reflect not only our aspirations and aspirations, but also the presence and development of our people in their historical homeland. The flag will become a symbol of Israel, its independence and identity. "
Coat of arms of Israel
The Israeli coat of arms depicts a menorah (menorah) framed by olive branches. Under it is an inscription in Hebrew, translated means "Israel." Background of the coat of arms of blue color. Olive twigs and menorah can be depicted in two versions: gold and white. Gold can be found most often, for example, in Israeli passports. But white mainly appears on the presidential flag.
Initially, several variants of the Israeli coat of arms were put forward, so they organized a contest where many of its variations were presented. As a result, the Shamir brothers, formerly residents of Latvia, won. The basis of the coat of arms was taken from their project, and the remaining details were borrowed from other competitive projects.
Flag of israel
Before taking the official banner, there were 170 of his projects. The base of the flag was developed in 1891 as a symbol for the Zionist movement: in the center of the banner is the ancient Jewish hexagram “The Shield of David”. The original version assumed three vertical stripes, but after a vote by the members of the government, only two were left, symbolizing the sea and the sky.
What does the flag of Israel look like today? it a prayer-shaped white veil of rectangular shape, on which there are two blue horizontal stripes and a six-pointed star of David, located in the center. The flag of Israel was officially approved five months after the recognition of the country's independence.
Symbols of the coat of arms of Israel
The olive branches framing the menorah on the Israeli coat of arms symbolize calm, lack of aggression, the desire of the Jews for peace. There is a legend about them, according to which the prophet Zechariah, while one of the ancient temples was being built, saw a prophetic dream in which olive trees grew on the sides of the menorah.
The menorah is a symbol of immortality and enlightenment. She has an interesting story. Translated means "lamp". According to the Bible, the golden lamp (menorah) was in the Tabernacle, and then it was moved to the Jerusalem temple, where it was stored until the destruction of the latter.
The choice of menorah is not accidental, there is plenty of evidence that it is a truly Jewish symbol. Even the second book of the Old Testament states that it was she who was sent to Moses.
The symbolic meanings of menorah are vast. In Judaism, it symbolizes the divine word and light, wisdom and protection, life and rebirth, miracle and continuity, and the menorah is associated with Judaism and the Jewish people as a whole.
Symbols of the flag of Israel
The flag of Israel has its own symbolism: a white canvas and the star of David. It has a long history dating back to ancient times. What does the flag of Israel mean? A white canvas with blue stripes symbolizes a Jewish prayer shawl (thales); Star of David is considered a very ancient symbol, which has many meanings. According to one of them, she represents protection from magic and diabolical witchcraft. This symbol was depicted, according to one legend, on the shields of the troops of King David. The hexagon became a symbol of devotion to faith in 1354, in the 14th century for the first time European Jews were allowed to have their own national attributes.
Most often, the hexagram is explained in such a way that it combines and combines the masculine and feminine principles. In ancient times, it was believed that it personifies 4 elements. The triangle, which faces up, symbolized fire and air, and the bottom - earth and water. There is another version: facing up - a symbol of fire, right and left - air and water, and with a downward angle - grace and peace.
The Star of David symbolizes the divine principle, striving toward the earth, and the earthly principle, which strives toward the heavens. Another explanation of the symbol is the divine control of the world - heaven and earth, as well as the cardinal points.
History of the creation of the flag and coat of arms of Israel
Like any other state, Israel carefully selected the flag and coat of arms, considering all the proposed options. Attributes should correspond to history, worldview, ideals of independent Israel.
The members of the Council, which was temporarily created under the Prime Minister to resolve this issue, agreed that the main symbol of the state should be precisely the menorah, who has been closely associated for many centuries with the history of the Jews. And the second no less important attribute of symbolism was the six-pointed star of David. It is considered the traditional symbol of Judaism, and the flag of Israel rightfully "bears it."