The highest in the country: Israeli flag raised to a height of 61 meters in the heart of Lev HaSharon
The project was established after about two years of planning work near the 5th Brigade memorial in Nitzanei Oz. The ceremony was attended by the President of the State Isaac Herzog, the Chairman of KKL, the CEO of the "Otef Israel" association, and about 200 other guests, including bereaved families. The flagpole will be illuminated every night and is expected to be visible from afar from the main traffic arteries in the area.
The Israeli flag was raised to a height of 61 meters this evening (Tuesday) in the heart of Lev HaSharon, at a festive ceremony held in the presence of the President of the State Isaac Herzog. The flag, built at the initiative of the "Otef Israel" association and in cooperation with the Lev HaSharon Regional Council, was raised near the 5th Brigade soldiers' memorial in Moshav Nitzanei Oz.
The ceremony was attended by KKL Chairman Eyal Ostrinsky, Council Head Eli Aton, CEO of the "Otef Israel" association Yoav Lazar, members of the association, and about 200 guests, including bereaved families of IDF fallen soldiers and those murdered during the Swords of Iron war and the events of October 7, as well as local leaders and public figures.
The flagpole was erected after about two years of planning and engineering work. It was built in accordance with strict standards and will be illuminated throughout the night, serving as a landmark of memory, pride, and hope.
"This flag is everyone's flag"
President Isaac Herzog referred in the ceremony to the meaning of the national flag:
"If you will it, it is no dream. That was a saying of Herzl. Herzl drew the blue and white, from here everything began."
Hertzog also referred to the return of the body of Yehuda Katz, an IDF soldier who had been missing since the Battle of Sultan Yacoub and whose body was returned to Israel after 44 years:
"When we talk about the flag, we think at this moment of the return of Yehuda Katz, the last of the Sultan Yacoub soldiers whose body was returned to a Jewish burial after 44 years. This shows how much the commitment to bring everyone home is sacred. He fought for the flag and will be buried wrapped in the flag."
"This flag is our flag. It expresses the eternity of Israel and contains all the citizens of Israel. It is everyone's flag, and therefore we raise it high with pride," added Herzog.
Head of the Lev HaSharon Regional Council, Eli Aton, said that the flag is intended to carry the memory of the fallen:
"Our answer as a people to our enemies is to take root and build a home in the Land of Israel. The flag was raised tonight with deep appreciation in memory of the IDF fallen and the victims of the October 7 massacre, and for the sake of the bereaved families who sacrificed the most precious of all."
KKL Chairman Eyal Ostrinsky stated that the flag waving at a height of 61 meters is a declaration of strength, resilience, and faith in the future of the State of Israel. CEO of the "Otef Israel" association, Yoav Lazar, added that this is only the beginning of a wider journey, paying tribute to his close friends Harel Birenstock and Tamir Vaknin, who fell in defense of the homeland.
