Emblem of Israel

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Emblem of Israel
Emblem of Israel.svg
ArmigerState of Israel
Adopted10 February 1949; 72 years ago (1949-02-10)
Mottoישראל‎
"Israel"

The Emblem of the State of Israel (Hebrew: סמל מדינת ישראל, romanized: Semel Medinat Yisra'el; Arabic: شعار دولة إسرائيل, romanized: shiear dawlat 'iisrayiyl) shows a menorah surrounded by an olive branch on each side, and the writing "ישראל‎" (Hebrew for Israel) below it. Most commonly light blue and white, the coat of arms does appear in different colour combinations depending on the use (see below).

History[]

The emblem features a menorah captured by Romans during the First Jewish-Roman War, as depicted on the Arch of Titus.

The State of Israel adopted the symbol after a design competition held in 1948. The design is based on the winning entry submitted by Gabriel and Maxim Shamir's proposal, with elements taken from other submissions, including entries from Oteh Walisch, W. Struski, Itamar David, Yerachmiel Schechter, and Willie Wind, whose entry won the first design competition.[1][2]

Symbolism[]

The image used on the emblem is based on a depiction of the menorah on the Arch of Titus. The menorah was used in the ancient Temple in Jerusalem and has been a symbol of Judaism since ancient times. It symbolizes universal enlightenment, based on what is written in Isaiah 60: "Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn".

The emblem may also be based on the vision of the biblical prophet Zechariah, chapter 4, where he describes seeing a menorah flanked by two olive trees, one on each side.[3]

Usage[]

The following gallery shows various contexts in which the emblem is used:

  • Standard of the President of Israel

  • Seal of Mossad displays the Menorah from the emblem

  • Emblem as coat of arms on Israeli passport

  • Independence Day stamp with emblem and inscription "Memorial Day for the Fighters for Independence" (1955)

  • Flag and emblem of Israel banners decorate a house on Israel Independence Day (2007)

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ "Israel. Naissance d'un Etat. En Images. Dinosoria". Dinosoria.com. Retrieved 2013-11-24.
  2. ^ "Emblem of Israel". Archived from the original on 2019-06-17.
  3. ^ Mishory, Alec. The Israeli Emblem. Jewish Virtual Library. [1]. American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise. Accessed 9 Jul. 2012.

External links[]

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