Israel Flag Set To Create Record For World's Largest

By Joel Leyden
Israel News Agency

Jerusalem, Israel ---- November 23, 2007 ..... The Israel Ministry of Tourism announced today that the largest flag in the world, Israel, has arrived in Israel this week. The Israel flag, the size of two football stadiums, will be measured by representatives of the Guinness Book of Records, who are expected to declare it the "largest flag in the world".

The Israel flag and the Philippines flag which is of the same size will be rolled at a festive ceremony with the presence of the Israel Director General of the Ministry of Tourism, Shaul Zemach, the donor of the flag, Philippine business woman Grace Galindez-Gupana, the Consul General of the Philippines, the chairman of the Tamar regional council and the Director General of the Parks and Nature Authority.

The Israeli and Philippine flags will be rolled out by tens of youth, residents of the Tamar regional council and Philippine residents.

 

The Israel flag was first adopted on October 28, 1948, five months after Israel declared indepence. The flag displays a blue Star of David on a white background, between two horizontal blue stripes. The blue color is mandated only as "dark sky-blue", and varies from flag to flag. The flag was designed for the Zionist Movement in 1891. The basic design recalls the Tallit, the Jewish prayer shawl, which is white with blue stripes. The hexagram in the centre is the Magen David (shield of David). It became a Jewish symbol starting in late medieval Prague, and was adopted by the First Zionist Congress in 1897.

In 1897, an international meeting of worldwide Zionists was held in Basel, Switzerland, to consider establishing a homeland for Jews in Palestine. Morris Harris, a member of New York Havevy Zion, used his awning shop to design a suitable banner and decorations for the reception, and his mother Lena Harris sewed the flag. The flag was made with two blue stripes and a large blue Star of David in the center, the colors blue and white chosen from the design of the tallis, the traditional Jewish prayer shawl. The flag was ten feet by six feet - in the same proportions as the flag of the United States - and became known as the Flag of Zion. It was accepted as the official Zionist flag at the second international conference on Zionism held in Switzerland in 1898, and the state of Israel later adopted the design as the official flag, upon its independence from the United Kingdom in 1948.

The giant, record breaking Israel flag to be shown to the world this Sunday has been made at the initiative and financing of Sister Grace Galindez-Gupana, a Philippine business woman and ardent supporter of Israel in honor of 50 years of the friendly relations between Israel and the Philippines. Sister Grace, who has been working during the last years to promote tourism between the two countries, decided to mark the relations between the two countries with two flags of equal size - of Israel and the Philippines.

The flag was sown in the course of 3 weeks by six professional sewers under the direction of two designers and 40 volunteers, and weighs 5,200 kilos. Each flag is twice the size of the American "super flag" which holds the title at the moment as the largest flag in the world.

Israel Minister of Tourism Yitzhak Aharonovich, stated: "The Israel flag is the Zionist symbol of independence of the people of Israel and the State of Israel, and I thank sister Grace, who in this moving gesture is giving us the opportunity to take pride in our independence of 60 years. I hope that tourists from around the world will endeavor as Sister Grace is in advancing tourism between all peoples."

"Sister Grace, who has arrived in the Israel in the accompaniment of several journalists from the Philippines, said: "The flag is my way of showing my love and support for the State of Israel and its citizens, and I hope that in this way I can also promote tourism to Israel."

The Israel Ministry of Tourism and the Parks and Nature Authority will integrate the flag into the events planned for the 60th year of Independence in order to promote both internal and incoming tourism. The Ministry has already received many requests from different entities that are interested in utilizing the flag in various events, and the specific proposals will soon be studied.

The ceremony, which is being produced by the Sar-el Company, will be held this Sunday, November 25, at the Masada Airport.