National symbols of Israel
Encyclopedia
National symbols of Israel are the symbol
s that are used in Israel
and abroad to represent the country and its people.
The flag of Israel is the official flag of the State of Israel, which represents the state, its sovereignty, its institutions and its citizens, both in Israel and worldwide. This flag has a white background and two horizontal blue stripes, and a blue Star of David
in the middle.
The flag was conceived during the period of the First Aliyah
and was adopted as the flag of the Zionist movement since the movement's inception in 1897. The flag was officially chosen as the flag of the State of Israel on 28 October 1948, and it was favored over other flag proposals, mainly due to the popularity it gained among the Jewish population In Israel.
The emblem of Israel is an Escutcheon which contains a Menorah in its center, two olive branches on both sides of the Menorah and at the bottom the label "Israel".
The emblem was designed by the brothers Gabriel and Maxim Shamir
, and was officially chosen on 10 February 1949 from among many other proposals submitted as part of a design competition held in 1948.
of Israel
. The anthem was written in 1878 by Naphtali Herz Imber, a secular Galician Jew from Zolochiv
(today in Lviv Oblast
), who moved to the Land of Israel
in the early 1880s. The poem was subsequently adopted as the anthem of Hovevei Zion
and later of the Zionist Movement
at the First Zionist Congress
in 1897. The text subsequently underwent a number of other changes. "Hatikvah" is the only anthem in the world which is in a minor scale
, which sounds mournful, but as the title suggests, the song is optimistic and uplifting.
The anthem's theme revolves around the nearly 2000-year-old hope of the Jewish people to be a free and sovereign people in the Land of Israel, a national dream that would eventually be realized with the founding of the modern State of Israel in 1948.
. The origin of the combination of these colors is from the Bible, in which they are mentioned in several instances.
White and light blue are also the traditional team colours of the Israel national sporting teams.
.
The Hoopoe was declared as the national bird of the State of Israel on 29 May 2008 by the president of Israel Shimon Peres
.
(רקפת, more exactly Cyclamen persicum
) was elected as the national flower of the State of Israel and as its official representative in the botanical exhibition "We Are One World" held in Beijing
.
The Cyclamen won over by a small margin over the Anemone coronaria
(6509 compared with 6053 votes) in a poll conducted among visitors of the popular Israeli website Ynet
.
The olive won by a large margin over the Quercus calliprinos in a poll conducted among visitors of the popular Israeli website Ynet
.
The Canaan dog is the national dog breed
of Israel. The Canaan Dog is a member of the Pariah-type dogs
, a sub family of the Spitz
group of dogs.
The Canaan dog has been very common in the Southern Levant
region, from Sinai to Syria
.
The breed was recognized by the Israeli Association of dog handlers in 1963. Since the Canaan dog is considered Israel's national dog breed, and in 1966 the breed was also recognized as Israel's national dog breed by the Fédération Cynologique Internationale
.
Symbol
A symbol is something which represents an idea, a physical entity or a process but is distinct from it. The purpose of a symbol is to communicate meaning. For example, a red octagon may be a symbol for "STOP". On a map, a picture of a tent might represent a campsite. Numerals are symbols for...
s that are used in Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
and abroad to represent the country and its people.
National flag - Flag of Israel
The flag of Israel is the official flag of the State of Israel, which represents the state, its sovereignty, its institutions and its citizens, both in Israel and worldwide. This flag has a white background and two horizontal blue stripes, and a blue Star of David
Star of David
The Star of David, known in Hebrew as the Shield of David or Magen David is a generally recognized symbol of Jewish identity and Judaism.Its shape is that of a hexagram, the compound of two equilateral triangles...
in the middle.
The flag was conceived during the period of the First Aliyah
First Aliyah
The First Aliyah was the first modern widespread wave of Zionist aliyah. Jews who migrated to Palestine in this wave came mostly from Eastern Europe and from Yemen. This wave of aliyah began in 1881–82 and lasted until 1903. An estimated 25,000–35,000 Jews immigrated to Ottoman Syria during the...
and was adopted as the flag of the Zionist movement since the movement's inception in 1897. The flag was officially chosen as the flag of the State of Israel on 28 October 1948, and it was favored over other flag proposals, mainly due to the popularity it gained among the Jewish population In Israel.
National emblem - Emblem of Israel
The emblem of Israel is an Escutcheon which contains a Menorah in its center, two olive branches on both sides of the Menorah and at the bottom the label "Israel".
The emblem was designed by the brothers Gabriel and Maxim Shamir
Gabriel and Maxim Shamir
Gabriel Shamir and Maxim Shamir , were Israeli graphic designers....
, and was officially chosen on 10 February 1949 from among many other proposals submitted as part of a design competition held in 1948.
National anthem - Hatikvah
"Hatikvah" is the national anthemNational anthem
A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that evokes and eulogizes the history, traditions and struggles of its people, recognized either by a nation's government as the official national song, or by convention through use by the people.- History :Anthems rose to prominence...
of Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
. The anthem was written in 1878 by Naphtali Herz Imber, a secular Galician Jew from Zolochiv
Zolochiv
Zolochiv is a town located in the Lviv Oblast of western Ukraine. It is the administrative center of the Zolochiv Raion ....
(today in Lviv Oblast
Lviv Oblast
Lviv Oblast is an oblast in western Ukraine. The administrative center of the oblast is the city of Lviv.-History:The oblast was created as part of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic on December 4, 1939...
), who moved to the Land of Israel
Land of Israel
The Land of Israel is the Biblical name for the territory roughly corresponding to the area encompassed by the Southern Levant, also known as Canaan and Palestine, Promised Land and Holy Land. The belief that the area is a God-given homeland of the Jewish people is based on the narrative of the...
in the early 1880s. The poem was subsequently adopted as the anthem of Hovevei Zion
Hovevei Zion
Hovevei Zion , also known as Hibbat Zion , refers to organizations that are now considered the forerunners and foundation-builders of modern Zionism....
and later of the Zionist Movement
Zionism
Zionism is a Jewish political movement that, in its broadest sense, has supported the self-determination of the Jewish people in a sovereign Jewish national homeland. Since the establishment of the State of Israel, the Zionist movement continues primarily to advocate on behalf of the Jewish state...
at the First Zionist Congress
First Zionist Congress
The First Zionist Congress was the inaugural congress of the Zionist Organization held in Basel , Switzerland, from August 29 to August 31, 1897. It was convened and chaired by Theodor Herzl, the founder of the modern Zionism movement...
in 1897. The text subsequently underwent a number of other changes. "Hatikvah" is the only anthem in the world which is in a minor scale
Minor scale
A minor scale in Western music theory includes any scale that contains, in its tonic triad, at least three essential scale degrees: 1) the tonic , 2) a minor-third, or an interval of a minor third above the tonic, and 3) a perfect-fifth, or an interval of a perfect fifth above the tonic, altogether...
, which sounds mournful, but as the title suggests, the song is optimistic and uplifting.
The anthem's theme revolves around the nearly 2000-year-old hope of the Jewish people to be a free and sovereign people in the Land of Israel, a national dream that would eventually be realized with the founding of the modern State of Israel in 1948.
National colors - White and light blue
The national colours of Israel are officially white and light blue as seen on the flag of IsraelFlag of Israel
The flag of Israel was adopted on October 28, 1948, five months after the country's establishment. It depicts a blue Star of David on a white background, between two horizontal blue stripes...
. The origin of the combination of these colors is from the Bible, in which they are mentioned in several instances.
White and light blue are also the traditional team colours of the Israel national sporting teams.
National bird - Hoopoe
The Hoopoe was chosen as the national bird of the State of Israel in May 2008 in conjunction with the country's 60th anniversary, following a national survey of 155,000 citizens, outpolling the White-spectacled BulbulWhite-spectacled Bulbul
The White-spectacled Bulbul also known as the Yellow-vented Bulbul, Pycnonotus xanthopygos, is a small bird, a bit bigger than a sparrow. It is 19–21 centimeters in length, and its wingspan is 20–25 centimeters. A stable bird that lives in fruit plantations, gardens, cities etc. It is the most...
.
The Hoopoe was declared as the national bird of the State of Israel on 29 May 2008 by the president of Israel Shimon Peres
Shimon Peres
GCMG is the ninth President of the State of Israel. Peres served twice as the eighth Prime Minister of Israel and once as Interim Prime Minister, and has been a member of 12 cabinets in a political career spanning over 66 years...
.
National Flower - Cyclamen
In September 2007 the CyclamenCyclamen
Cyclamen is a genus of 23 species of perennials growing from tubers, valued for their flowers with upswept petals and variably patterned leaves...
(רקפת, more exactly Cyclamen persicum
Cyclamen persicum
Cyclamen persicum, the Persian cyclamen, is a perennial growing from a tuber, native to rocky hillsides, shrubland, and woodland up to above sea level from south-central Turkey to Israel and Jordan. It also grows in Algeria and Tunisia and on the Greek islands of Rhodes, Karpathos, and Crete,...
) was elected as the national flower of the State of Israel and as its official representative in the botanical exhibition "We Are One World" held in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
.
The Cyclamen won over by a small margin over the Anemone coronaria
Anemone coronaria
Anemone coronaria is a species of flowering plant in the genus Anemone, native to the Mediterranean region.-Description:...
(6509 compared with 6053 votes) in a poll conducted among visitors of the popular Israeli website Ynet
Ynet
Ynet is the most popular Israeli news and general content website. It is owned by the same conglomerate that operates Yediot Ahronot, the country's secondleading daily newspaper...
National Tree - Olive
In September 2007 the olive was elected as the national tree of the State of Israel and as its official representative in the botanical exhibition "We Are One World" held in BeijingBeijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
.
The olive won by a large margin over the Quercus calliprinos in a poll conducted among visitors of the popular Israeli website Ynet
Ynet
Ynet is the most popular Israeli news and general content website. It is owned by the same conglomerate that operates Yediot Ahronot, the country's secondleading daily newspaper...
.
National dog - Canaan Dog
The Canaan dog is the national dog breed
Dog breed
Dog breeds are groups of closely related and visibly similar domestic dogs, which are all of the subspecies Canis lupus familiaris, having characteristic traits that are selected and maintained by humans, bred from a known foundation stock....
of Israel. The Canaan Dog is a member of the Pariah-type dogs
Pariah dog
The term pariah dog originally referred to Chinese/Indian feral dogs of a particular type, but it is now used by the United Kennel Club to refer to a purebred dog category.- Feral dogs of India :...
, a sub family of the Spitz
Spitz
Spitz-type dogs are a type of dog, characterized by long, thick, and often white fur, and pointed ears and muzzles...
group of dogs.
The Canaan dog has been very common in the Southern Levant
Southern Levant
The Levant is the geographical region bordering the Mediterranean, roughly between Egypt and Anatolia . The Southern Levant is roughly encompassed by Palestine, the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, along with the modern sovereign states of Israel, Jordan and the southern part of Lebanon.Although the term...
region, from Sinai to Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
.
The breed was recognized by the Israeli Association of dog handlers in 1963. Since the Canaan dog is considered Israel's national dog breed, and in 1966 the breed was also recognized as Israel's national dog breed by the Fédération Cynologique Internationale
Fédération Cynologique Internationale
Fédération Cynologique Internationale is an international federation of kennel clubs based in Thuin, Belgium. The English language translation, World Canine Organisation, is not often used.Its goals are described in Article 2 of their regulations:...
.