FACT CHECK: Did the "Palestinian flag" actually feature a Star of David?
As someone who works in the field of Hasbara, I regularly debunk claims made in the media that just aren't factually accurate. But the truth is that misinformation isn't the preserve of one side alone.
As someone who works in the field of Hasbara, I regularly debunk claims made in the media that just aren't factually accurate. But the truth is that misinformation isn't the preserve of one side alone.
All of us are susceptible to spreading misinformation, and we need to take steps to prevent taking part in sharing falsehoods.
Last week, a popular video-maker filmed a clip featuring a blue and white flag, and claimed "Here's the Palestinian flag... this is what it looked like 1939."
Only that's not quite the case.
Only that's not quite the case.
Evidence that this was the Palestinian flag seems to stem from one source, and one source only: the 1939 edition of the Larousse French dictionary. That should be the first warning sign. It's unknown on which basis Le Petit Larousse Illustré chose this flag to represent Palestine
Upon further inspection, it appears that some of the other flags are erroneously labeled. For example, the flag of Morocco is incorrect, as is that of the Soviet Union. Warning sign #2.
I've not seen any evidence on the websites or printed materials of any Israeli national institutions that this was ever an official flag. That's another warning sign.
Instead, it seems far more likely that this was just one of many flags in use, or being floated for use, at the time.
For example, a number of similarly-designed flags are recorded as having been in use in the 1930s. They also featured two thick blue strips and a Star of David, but arranged differently and sporting different shades of blue.
In reality, Hebrew flags were never recognized/ given official status by the British authorities, which always claimed (to the point of ridiculousness) to be impartial between Jews and Arabs. As such, the only official Flag of Palestine was based on the Union Jack.
None of this is to say that there is no millennia-old Jewish connection to this land. There clearly is.
And it's equally apparent to me that the term "Palestine" meant something radically different a century ago to what it does now.
But for the sake of having a constructive, fact-based, honest conversation, we need to check our biases and strive to avoid baseless or exaggerated claims.
Whichever side of the debate we happen to be on.
Whichever side of the debate we happen to be on.
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