The national flag of the State of Israel was officially determined only about half a year after the country's establishment, but the flag itself - a white rectangle with two blue lines across its entire length and a Magen David (Star of David) occupying the center - had been long familiar to the people, being the flag of the Zionist movement.

The flag of Zionism was first created by David Wolfsohn, head of the Zionist Organization after Herzl's death (according to his own account). He forged the flag on the model of the tallit (the Jewish prayer shawl), which was, he noted, the traditional flag of the Jewish people (the white talit has blue strips, based on Numbers 15:38: "tell them to make to themselves fringes in the corners of their garments, putting in them ribands of blue"), and added the Magen David in the middle.

In 1933 the 18th Zionist Congress decided that "by long tradition, the blue and white flag is the flag of the Zionist Organization and the Jewish people", thus rejecting Herzl's suggestion for a flag featuring seven golden stars.

Through a special order by Winston Churchill, this flag was made the official flag of the Jewish Brigade Group during World War II.

The blue color of the flag is defined by law as "dark sky-blue", a somewhat vague definition. In practice, many shades of blues, dark or bright, are used.

The flags of the Israeli Navy and the Israeli Merchant marine are variations of the national flag, featuring the blue and white colors and Magen David.

The stamp was issued in 1949. Designer: F. Kraus.