Last modified: 2025-03-22 by martin karner
Keywords: israel | shalit |
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![["We stand with Israel" flag]](../images/u/us}wswil.gif)
image by António Martins, 25. August 2024
An US-made Israel support flag with the motto "We stand with Israel", with the motto in two lines on
the blue stripes of the Israel national flag. Flag size 3x5 ft. (91x152 cm), polyester.
(picture | source)
Martin Karner, 11 October 2023
![[Gilad Shalit flag]](../images/i/il_giladshalit.jpg)
image by William Garrison
Gilad Shalit solidarity flag (in William Garrison's possession). Flag-pole sleeve on the left side.
The Hebrew inscriptions: Above on the right: "Gilad Shalit". Below: "And bring the
boys/sons back to their borders", or: "And the boys/sons returned to their borders" (?)
Gilad Shalit (גלעד שליט, born 28 August 1986) is a
former POW (prisoner of war) soldier of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) who on 25 June 2006, was captured
by Palestinian militants in a cross-border raid via a tunnel beneath the Gaza-Israeli border. Hamas held
him captive for over five years, until his release on 18 October 2011 as part of a prisoner-exchange deal
[As part of this deal Israel released 1027 terrorists from prison. One of them was Yahya Sinwar].
This flag/banner was displayed to remind Israelis not to forget the long-imprisoned soldier. Apparently,
something promoted by the "habanim.org" c. 2010 (habanim = the boys/sons).
William Garrison, 12 October 2023
![[Gilad Shalit flag]](../images/i/il_gilad.jpg)
image located by William Garrison
Gilad Shalit solidarity flag. Hebrew inscription: "Gilad still lives" (Gilad adaiin khai).
(source)
located by William Garrison, 16 October 2023
![["Freedom in our country" flag]](../images/i/il_freedom.jpg)
image located by William Garrison
An Israeli national flag with the Hebrew inscription "Freedom in our country" (khufesch
beartzenu) on the lower blue band (For the writing on the obverse side see right image).
(source)
William Garrison, 27 October 2023
![[Toda raba flag]](../images/i/il_todaraba.jpg)
image located by William Garrison
Israeli flag with a tilted Star of David and the writing toda raba (thank you very much / thank
you so much). The "bowing" star should express gratitude towards the Israeli military personnel
(see newsletter photos: picture, picture).
(source: Jerusalem Post newsletter, 1 November 2023)
located by William Garrison, 2 November 2023
![[Nova music festival flag]](../images/i/il_nova.jpg)
image located by William Garrison
The light-blue-field flag of the "Nova" music festivals that are promoted by the Tel Aviv based
"Eventer Company", ca. Oct. 2023. In the middle of the flag is the Nova logo: with the word
"Nova" surrounded by short white lines/rays figuratively symbolizing a star exploding in space.
Also on the flag, surrounding the logo, there are at the left two crescent moons that are a "pale
white/light blue" color, while the right two crescent moons are a "sunrise" red-orange color.
A Nova is a sudden increase in brightness of a star before shrinking back down to normality. More powerful
than a nova, a supernova is an explosion that heralds the demise of a star.
Nova music festivals originally developed in Brazil about 1998 and the "Tribe of Nova"
organization produces music festivals in various countries. I am uncertain as to the legal status of the
"Nova" trademark; there seems to be a number of "Nova" music-festival copycats. There have
been previous "Nova Rock" music festivals. There was a "Nova Fest" held in Fairfax,
Virginia (USA) that was titled: "The Northern Virginian 10th Annual International Film and Music
Festival" in April 2023.
The Israel Nova music festival 7 Oct 2023 attack: A Nova open-air music festival was held 6–7 October
2023 near the kibbutz Re'im, which is located in the desert about midway near the eastern Gaza-Israel
border. Festival goers were allowed to enter the open-field fairgrounds a couple of hours before midnight
for partying before listening to bands the following day, Saturday the 7th. The event's ticket promoter was
the Tel Aviv based Eventer Company. It advertised the event as: "Tribe of Nova Presents: Supernova
Sukkot ... 6–7 Oct 2023 ... Universo Paralello ... World Tour: Israel Edition ... Nova." It was
scheduled to coincide with Jewish holidays: the final day of Sukkot (Friday, 6 October 2023) and
Simchat Torah (Saturday, 7 October). Sukkot is one of the three major festivals in Judaism
and is both an agricultural festival of thanksgiving and commemoration of the forty-year period during
which the children of Israel wandered in the Sinai desert after leaving slavery in Egypt (ca. 1446 BCE),
living in temporary shelters (called sukkot) as they traveled. The outdoor, open-field music
festival was attacked by Hamas-Palestinian militants [and civilians] shortly after sunrise on Saturday the
7th. Out of some 3000 concert goers, 364 festival attendees were killed and another 45 were kidnapped and
forcibly moved into captivity back inside the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip. At the same time other Hamas
militants [and civilians] also attacked and killed or captured another 800+ Israeli settlers and soldiers, foreign visitors and
guest workers along the shared border.
The Israel Oct. 2023 festival was "one of three unique pre-festival events taking place worldwide, as
Nova approached the 17th edition of the Universo Paralello festival to be held during the celebrations of
the new civil year [1 Jan 2024] in Praia de Pratigi, located on the southern coast of Bahia, Brazil,
within the mystical rainforest."
As at most concerts, there was likely a souvenir stand selling Nova flags, t-shirts, etc. The Nova festival
flag (see above). In the sunrise hours of Oct. 7, 2023, a female raver was filmed swaying with the Nova
flag (photo #2a & #2b). An undated (early Dec. 2023?) photo (#3) shows several Israeli soldiers holding a
Nova flag found somewhere along Gaza's northwestern Mediterranean coast, possibly looted by Hamas militants
rummaging through the Nova music festival. A Nova flag (#4) is seen at an Eventer Company music-memorial
planning meeting (late Oct. 2023?) for the 11–12 Nov 2023 memorial music concert held in Sdot Yam
near Caesarea, Israel.
![[#2a]](../images/i/il_nova2a.jpg)
#2a
![[#2b]](../images/i/il_nova2b.jpg)
#2b
![[#3]](../images/i/il_nova3.jpg)
#3
![[#4]](../images/i/il_nova4.jpg)
#4
Sources:
https://www.reddit.com...
https://www.jpost.com/omg/article-772876
https://www.eventer.co.il/novaparalellotranslate
https://www.timesofisrael.com...
https://www.billboard.com...
https://www.novaclassicalfestival.com/about
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHOiLANpses (flag source / restricted access)
William Garrison, 28 December 2023
![[Israel multi-religion flag]](../images/i/il_multirel.jpg)
image located by William Garrison
Israeli national flag with different religious and ideological symbols and rainbow colours. We can't
discern the writing on the central symbol. The symbols around the Star of David (beginning with the cross,
clockwise): Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Baha'i, Multi Gender, Socialism (?).
(source)
located by William Garrison, 2 November 2023
![[Remembrance flag]](../images/i/il_rem.jpg)
image located by William Garrison
Personal remembrance flag for a fallen Israeli soldier from the Golani Regiment. The flag is a Israeli
national flag, added with a photo of the fallen soldier and a green olive tree depiction. The tree symbol
is the typical olive tree depicted on the Golani Regiment units, with the
inscription "Golani" below it. The flag was presented on occasion of a visit of the organization
"Friends of the IDF" (https://www.fidf.org/) at the family of
the soldier.
(picture, source)
located by William Garrison, 4 January 2024
See also: Friends of the IDF
![[Pink heart flag]](../images/i/il}pkht.gif)
image by António Martins
In the wake of the current Israel-Hamas war, a picture is seen featuring the Israeli flag and instead
of the Star of David, it features a heart, all in pink. In this context, it refers to abused Israeli women
in Hamas' captivity (picture, source).
Sources:
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-67629181
https://apnews.com/article/sexual-assault...
https://www.france24.com...
https://www.haaretz.com...
Esteban Rivera, 6 January 2024
The specs of the general design don't seem to match those of the regular
Israeli flag, at least not in this depiction, where the central white
area is as big as 2/3 of the whole, instead of only half. The style
of the heart seems to be the one with straight slanted sides, not any of
the curved ones (convex or concave).
I expect that variations of these details are bound to be found among
hand-made individual flags of this design, even if a standardized type
is prescribed and/or mass-produced.
António Martins, 5 March 2025
![[Canada-Israel flag]](../images/c/ca_ca-il.jpg)
image located by William Garrison
Canada-Israel friendship flag, probably made in Canada, with the Canadian national flag
in the hoist, accompanied by the Israeli national flag in the fly. Both flags are truncated diagonally.
Flag ratio ca. 2:1.
(source; picture from 20 Nov 2023)
located by William Garrison, 15 January 2024
![[Belgium-Israel solidarity flag]](../images/i/il_be-il.jpg)
video located by Peter Hans van den Muijzenberg, 7 April 2024
Flag from the Belgian Group "Belgium stands with Israel". Israeli national flag with Star of
David in Belgian colours (black-yellow-red). On the top blue stripe the inscription
in Latin letters: "Belgium stands with Israel". On the bottom blue stripe the same wording in
Hebrew (Belgia omedet am Israel; עם also having the meaning of by, with).
located by William Garrison, 6 April 2024
![[Belgium-Israel solidarity flag]](../images/i/il_be-il).jpg)
video located by Peter Hans van den Muijzenberg, 7 April 2024
Sources:
https://www.youtube.com... (Video from 2015, flags showed at 1:22 and 2:04)
https://indianexpress.com... (news report from 11 Oct 2023, picture)
![[Belgium-Israel solidarity flag]](../images/b/be}be_il.gif)
image by António Martins, 10 March 2025
Variant (or former) flag. Belgian national flag with white inscription:
"BELGIUM STANDS WITH ISRAEL".
Source: https://www.youtube.com... (Video from
2014, flag shown at 0:02 and 0:20, picture)
Youtube channel of "Belgium stands with Israel": https://www.youtube.com/@BelgiumwithIsrael
located by Martin Karner, 8 April 2024
No idea about the other side [of the flag]. The video scene suggests that this was created to be
held in procession during demonstrations and otherwise hanging from walls, with grommets all around.
It is at least, however, a flag-based design. Ratio ~1:2 (in sharp constrast with the official
ratio of the Belgian national flag, less oblong than most at 13:15).
Also contrasting with the usual/official national flag of Belgium, the
shade of yellow is amber, not bright/medium yellow, like on the flag of
Germany. That can be determined by the evident contrast between the
white letters and their background on the middle stripe. The inscription
is set on the flag as two rows of two words each, in bold serifless capitals, with a black dropshow
at the lower fly side.
António Martins, 10/11 March 2025
![[Together we will win flag]](../images/i/il_together.jpg)
image located by William Garrison
Israeli national flag with inscription on the bottom strip: "Together we (will) win!" (beyakhad nenatseakh),
seen at the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 in Malmö, Sweden.
It cannot be seen whether the top strip is also written on.
(source; picture)
"Together we win!" is also the title and refrain of a popular song in Israel. After the attacks of
October 7, 2023, and especially during the following war in Gaza, this motto has become very popular in the
country;
it became a confession and call for unity, determination and strength. For the lyrics of
the song and performance by Israeli singer Sarit Hadad see
here.
located by William Garrison, 14 May 2024
![[Shoulder to Shoulder flag]](../images/i/il_katef.jpg)
image located by William Garrison
Solidarity flag for captive hostages held by Hamas. On yellow background the black Hebrew inscription "Shoulder
to Shoulder" (katef el katef), between the words a light red or orange solidarity ribbon.
While the inscription is imprinted, the ribbon could be hand-painted.
(source; picture)
located by William Garrison, 14 May 2024
![[Israeli sand glass flag]](../images/i/il_sand.jpg)
image located by William Garrison
(source)
Flag or banner, mimicking the Israeli national flag, with a sand glass instead of the Star of David (picture).
The sand glass consists of the two equilateral blue triangles, which normally form the Star of David,
showing the yellow sand flowing from the upper triangle into the lower one. This should symbolize the time
running out for the victims held by Hamas. The flag/banner was shown at a meeting between family members
of hostages and politicians in the Knesset on 20 May 2024
(source).
located by William Garrison, 25 May 2024
![[Brothers forever flag]](../images/i/il_broforev.jpg)
image located by William Garrison
(source)
Solidarity banner for the abducted hostages still in Hamas captivity (Hostages Square, near the Tel
Aviv Museum of Art, picture). The banner shows an Israeli
national flag in large format, covered with 192 portrait photos of hostages.
There are Hebrew inscriptions on the blue stripes and in the center of the Star of David. Inscription
on the upper stripe: "Our hearts are with the abductees". Inscription on the Star of David:
"Brothers forever" (akhim lenatseakh).
Inscription on the lower stripe: "Beit Jen sympathizes with the families of the abductees".
located by William Garrison, 25 May 2024
![[Yellow Ribbon flag]](../images/i/il_yelrib.jpg)
image located by William Garrison
(source)
The national flag of Israel with a remembrance "Yellow Ribbon" intertwined with the centered
Star of David; c. early May 2024, as seen in NYC and Israel (picture).
The Yellow Ribbon symbol became widely known
in civilian life in the 1970s. It was the central theme of the popular song: "Tie a Yellow Ribbon
Round the Ole Oak Tree" (written by Irwin Levine and L. Russell Brown), as the sign a released
prisoner requested from his wife or lover to indicate that she would welcome him home. Following the
U.S.–Iraq Gulf War of 1990–91, many U.S. families tied a yellow ribbon around their front-yard
trees as a "Welcome Home" sign for their returning military personnel. This Israel version
symbolizes the desire that Israelis, captured during the Oct. 7, 2023 invasion by Hamas into southwestern
Israel, be returned to Israel soon, and that, meanwhile, they will not be forgotten.
See also Picture: Flag erected by Mevasseret Zion local council (source).
William Garrison, 25 May 2024
![[Ben Shimoni flag]](../images/i/il_benshimoni.jpg)
image located by Martin Karner/Zachary Harden
(source)
This flag looks like a memorial flag to one of the dead who owned this vehicle. I was able to use the
Hebrew term for this memorial (קיר המכוניות,
kir ha'mekhoniot = the car wall) and was able to find a clearer picture
of the flag here
and here (picture).
Also on the car itself, there are stickers and notes with the same face as the flag.
This page on X (picture)
also shows the flag. After I scanned the QR code in the second photo, I was able to see that the man on the
flag is Ben Binyamin Shimoni. Information about his car is at https://dialogue-landing.co.il/?page_id=6828 [in Hebrew and English – scroll down for his heroic act of rescue]
and how it was tied to the events of October 7th. There are other links, including a memorial Instagram page.
This Instagram page
(picture) confirms that it's the flag that belongs to his car.
Zachary Harden, 28 September 2024
See also: • The Car Wall (Wikipedia)
•
More photos of The Car Wall (Wikimedia)
![[Marketing Team flag]](../images/i/il^!-mark.jpg)
image located by William Garrison
(source | picture)
This black-white flag is designed like a military unit flag, but perhaps is a humoristic fantasy flag.
The horizontal inscription says "Marketing Team" (tsevet shivuk).
located by William Garrison, 26 November 2024
![[Solidarity Flag]](../images/i/il_lookthem.jpg)
image located by Martin Karner
(source | picture)
Solidarity flag for abducted hostages in a commentary article of jewishnews.co.uk from 3 September 2024.
The flag is shown on a photo taken on Parliament Square, London. It shows 116 portrait photos of hostages
on a black background. The photos are arranged around a free rectangle in the center, which contains the
Hebrew writings "Look them in the eyes" (upper line, in white), and "We are committed to bring
them home!" (lower line, in red). Below, in the third line, there is the English hashtag
"#BringThemHomeNow" (in white, "Now" in red). On the bottom black border of the flag there
is a small Hebrew inscription which is not discernable entirely (it contains the words "abducted"
and "missing").
Martin Karner, 27 February 2025
