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National emblem of Israel
The
Emblem of Israel
(
Hebrew
:
??? ????? ?????
,
romanized
:
S?mel Med?nat Y?sr???l
;
Arabic
:
???? ???? ???????
,
romanized
:
Shi?eer Dawlat ?Isr???l
) depicts a
temple menorah
surrounded by an
olive branch
on each side, with the word
Israel
written in
Hebrew
(
?????
) below it. While it is commonly displayed in
blue and white
, the emblem has appeared in alternative colour combinations depending on the use, such as on the
Israeli Presidential Standard
(see below).
History
[
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]
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]
The emblem was officially adopted on February 10, 1949.
[3]
Symbolism
[
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]
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.
[4]
Usage
[
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]
The following gallery shows various contexts in which the emblem is used:
See also
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]
References
[
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]
External links
[
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]