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Zionist Congress 1918 (Zionist Flags, Israel)

by Jaume Ollé

Description

See also:

Zionist Flags and other Proposals (Israel)
Israel

Description

Flag offered by the brothers Isaac and Nisen Haisrael to the Jewish congress, 5 December 1918.

Jaume Ollé, 11 January 1998

Quite a complicated flag, maybe good for the Congress, but unsuitable for the national flag. However, I was wandering about its symbolism:

landscape and rising sun are quite obvious, as well as Magen David;
12 small stars are, presumably for 12 tribes of Israel;
corn wreath comes from the first group too, I guess;
in the middle of it is the letter "Tzade" for Zion, I guess (as in the 1924 proposal);
I have no idea what the letters above should stand for. They are dalet, lamed, yud — DLY.

Željko Heimer, 13 January 1998

About the meaning of the letters dalet-lamed-yud on the image of the flag proposed for the 1918 Jewish Congress. I thought almost instantaneously of a yiddish phrase — Dos Land Yisroel, The Land of Israel. Maybe this could be the meaning?

Kris Killer, 21 August 2000

If it was true then it would be Der Lant Yisroel. However, I must say that it cannot be so. One of the main aspects of the Zionism movement was the revival and the common use of the Hebrew language, used for centuries before for praying use only. I cannot see how Yiddish initials could be even remotely considered to appear on a Zionist flag. My guess is that the dalet is the initial of Degel (flag) and the yud naturally for Israel so it could make Degel Le'medinat Israel (flag of the state of Israel) or something like that but that is just a guess.

Dov Gutterman, 22 August 2000

This flag was published in Vexillinfo or Flaggenmitteilungen, I believe that originary source is Lucien Philippe. He says, "5 December 1918 Isaac and Nissen Haisrael brothers offered a flag to the Jewish Congress. Other flag was offered by the Italian government in 1924".

Jaume Ollé, 26 August 2000

About the 'DLY' on one of the proposed flags for the State of Israel, it might stand for Degel Lekol Yisrael, 'the flag for all of Israel'.

Nachman Oz, 21 May 2001