With Israel’s 59th Independence Day just a week away, parading one’s national pride around may not be the latest trend this year as Israeli flag sales are down.
Flag sales especially in Jerusalem are at a low, according to Hadasa Berman, a Jerusalem resident who manufactures flags.
“The trend began last year, but this year it’s grown stronger,” said Berman. “It seems that people don’t have the desire to hang up flags. The ones still purchasing are factories, institutions, and organizations.”
According to Berman, the drop in flag sales seems to be from the lack of Israeli settlers purchasing flags in honor of the State of Israel as she believes they are “angry with symbols of the State.” Those who do purchase a flag usually end up with a made-in-China product rather than an original.
“How ironic is it that we manufacture national flags for Austria’s Independence Day, while authorities in our little country hang Israeli flags made in China,” said FGP General Manager Avi Marom.
According to Marom, his factory distributes thousands of flags to Jewish communities, especially in the US and Europe.
David Shragai, a veteran flag manufacturer from Petach Tikva, continued his tradition of providing 25,000 flags for the graves of Israel’s fallen soldiers. “The Defense Ministry still prefers Israeli-made,” he said.