A Grand New Flag for the 21st Century
Flags of Israel and Palestine Displayed Together upon Lapel Pin
Professor Joe GoldblattI
“I look out my window and see the Palestinian flags being waved by dozens of protestors and I am terrified!” These were the words of a University of Edinburgh post graduate student from Israel who had only arrived in Scotland a few days after Hamas killed 1200 persons in her home country.
I told her that I lived nearby the University and would be happy to walk her to her classes, the shops or other errands if she wished. She looked at me incredulously and shouted “We are all very frightened. Will you walk all of us?”
I soon recognised her post traumatic stress disorder, lowered my voice and replied, “We Jews have faced difficult times before. Our ancient Temples were destroyed, we have engaged in many wars in Israel and in Europe six million of our people died. I know from experience that what is happening now will probably get even worse. However, I also know that eventually things will get better.”
The young woman then choked back tears and said “How do you know that this time things will get better?”
I drew a deep breath and said, “Since the beginning of the Jewish people we have somehow managed even in the darkest of times to show our commitment to the hope within us or in Hebrew “Hatikvah” which is the national anthem of Israel. As I look around this campus at your fellow Jewish students I am reminded that their parents brought them and you into this world because they too had a strong hope for a better world. Now, it is our time to find and show our own hope.”
I am not sure my words were effective that afternoon, however since 7 October 2023 I too have struggled to find hope.
In 1906 the American songwriter and actor George M Cohan (1878 – 1942) wrote a melody that helped his nation stand taller and experience greater community cohesion. According to Cohan the inspiration for the song came when he met a veteran from the US Civil War who was holding a small torn U S flag. Cohan looked at the gentleman’s flag and said “She’s a grand old rag.” Later he changed the word rag to flag over the objections of his fellow citizens.
As a small boy in primary school I recall that we would begin each day with the head teacher announcing on the tanoy that we were to rise and recite the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag prominently displayed in our classroom. We placed our right hand over our heart and recited together throughout the entire school “I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States and to the Republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible with liberty justice for all.”
These 31 words described at that time the core values of being a citizen of the United States of America. By reciting them together and our voices echoing through the corridors of each school building we were literally proclaiming our solidarity to these shared values.
Perhaps that is why when the Scottish government decided to raise the Palestinian flag in front of our iconic Scottish Parliament building and also call for Palestinian statehood I began to wonder why a flag, a few metres of cloth, can cause us to recoil in fear and also rise with collective pride?
When I saw the small lapel pin above I wondered why we could not fly both the Israeli and Palestinian flags side by side to demonstrate our commitment to two states living together harmoniously and united by a common commitment to peace?
The answer of course is complex and like most challenges will require more than symbolic gestures to achieve a lasting peace among these two ancient warrior nations. After all, they have been fighting with one another for thousands of years and it will take more than symbols and gestures to create common understanding and enduring peace.
Our flags serve as tools for expressing our geographic and personal identity (nation states and gender), as communication devices (a flag at half mast reminds us of mourning), decoration, and most of all fostering unity and a sense of belonging among all people.
Perhaps rather than raising the flag of one nation state we should use the unique Scottish creativity and values to create a new flag that symbolises the desire and willingness of two old enemies to come together in peace? This peace flag actually already exists with the peace symbol emblazoned over a background of either a rainbow.
The concept of a peace flag may extend back to the Han dynasty in China and late the Romans created their own symbol. However, in the 1890s, expatriate American Cora Slocomb de Brazza Savorgnana, the Countess Di Brazzà, invented a universal peace flag with three upright bands: yellow, purple, and white, which became the peace flag of the International Peace Bureau. Later a complicated symbol of clasped hands and a dove was added. However, in 1904 it lost is complicated design and returned to three colours of yellow, purple, and white.
Along came Mr Yankee Doodle Dandy himself, George M Cohan in 1906 and the grand old flag was born through the lively march that he composed and is now sung all over the world to demonstrate pride and commitment to an invisible value made visible through a flag and the pride of the individuals who salute it.
There’s a feeling comes a-stealing,
And it sets my brain a-reeling,
When I’m list’ning to the music of a military band.
Any tune like “Yankee Doodle”
Simply sets me off my noodle,
It’s that patriotic something that no one can understand.
George M Cohan 1906
As long as there are human beings there will be flags that bring them great pride and sometimes shame. Therefore, within the 21st century I believe we need to reimagine the concept of the flag and see it as an emblem for promoting goodness, kindness, and harmony. In order to do this we may need to recreate or even create new flags to demonstrate our greater community cohesion and love and respect for one another, even, our enemies.
Perhaps the flag of the 21st century could be even grander than Cohan envisioned in the hands of that old U S Civil War veteran. Its grandeur may come not from its design or size but rather from the meaning that is sewn into every single fibre. I believe it is time for a 21st century flag of peace and community cohesion to replace the white flag of surrender with a bolder and more active message of celebrating the common goodness of humankind.
Professor Joe Goldblatt is Emeritus Professor of Planned Events at Queen Margaret University. His views are his own. For more information about his views visit www.joegoldblatt.scot