19 years earlier, a piece of white fabric and some ink became an improvised Israeli flag which was raised by the Negev Brigade on operation Ovda to claim Eilat for Israel.

Those two flags symbolized then and for generations to come the victory of the Jewish people in their struggle for independence.

The flag of The State of Israel tells us a story about The Jewish, Israeli history. The flag is comprised of two blue stripes on white background with a Shield (Star) of David (in Hebrew: Magen David) in the center.

This design was first displayed during the first aliyah period between the years 1881 and 1903 and, was embraced by the Zionist movement from the day it was presented at the First Zionist Congress held in Basel in 1897.

The flag was inspired by the tallit (the prayer shawl with blue stripes worn by Jews during prayer) as a symbol. The Star of David is a common symbol of the People of Israel from Biblical times.

The flag was adopted officially as the symbol of the state on October 28, 1948. Till this day it is raised proudly by Israelis and Jews world wide.

The national flag that will fly in front of the Consulate General of Israel in Los Angeles originally flew above the city of Sderot.

The flag has stood high and proud against the Sderot skyline, continually facing the barrage of rockets that have rained down on the city for the past several years.

After the Delegation of Children from Sderot returned to Sderot after their stay in Los Angeles earlier this year, the flag was sent by the Mayor of Sderot to President Shimon Peres in Jerusalem.

There on June 15th, the President of Israel Shimon Peres presented it to Mayor Antonio Villaragosa and Consul General Jacob Dayan who were leading a delegation of officials from the city of Los Angeles. The flag will now proudly fly above Wilshire Boulevard for the first time in the history of Los Angeles.