National symbols of Israel

National symbols of Israel are the symbols that are used in Israel and abroad to represent the country and its people.

National flag - Flag of Israel

Flag of Israel

Main article: 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 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.

National emblem - Emblem of Israel

Emblem of Israel

Main article: 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, 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

The words of Israel's national anthem, Hatikvah

Main article: Hatikvah

"Hatikvah" is the national anthem 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.

National colors - White and light blue

The national colours of Israel are officially white and light blue as seen on the flag of Israel. 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

Israel's national bird – hoopoe

Main article: 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 Bulbul.^[1]

The Hoopoe was declared as the national bird of the State of Israel on 29 May 2008 by the president of Israel Shimon Peres.^[2]

National Flower - Cyclamen

Israel's national flower – Cyclamen

Main article: Cyclamen persicum

In September 2007 the Cyclamen (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^[3]

National Tree - Olive

Israel's national tree – Olive

Main article: 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 Beijing.

The olive won by a large margin over the Quercus calliprinos in a poll conducted among visitors of the popular Israeli website Ynet.^[3]

National dog - Canaan Dog

Canaan Dog

Main article: Canaan Dog

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.

See also

• List of flags of Israel

References

1. ^ Reuters photo credit: Ofir Lotan (May 29, 2008). "Day in pictures". San Francisco Chronicle. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/object/article?o=1&f=/g/a/2008/05/29/dip.DTL. 
2. ^ ‏Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel
3. ^ ^{a b} [1]