A Flag By Any Other Name

A Flag By Any Other Name

What interests me about flags is that, when we want them to mean something, somehow we can ignore all other facts in favor of our own beliefs. Flags have been a flash point for thousands of years; “rally around the flag” is yelled to inspire nationalism, patriotism, and the ‘fighting spirit.” “Showing the colors” instills pride, a sense of belonging, a call to arms. Even pirates use the “Jolly Roger” flag to inspire their nefarious fellows; a bad guys’ nationalism. 

I had an interesting experience recently about flags. At my home, I proudly fly two flags. I have an American flag positioned under my central window, hanging day and night (some times, like during these days leading up to the fourth of July, I stick little flags in the ground along the driveway as well). The other flag I proudly fly is the flag of the State of Israel. This flag is off to the side, near the garage. It is clearly visible to all who pass by. AS a matter of fact, I use the flag to help people find my house (“it’s the house with the Israeli flag by the garage”) - as there are many homes with American flags, but I’m the only house with an Israeli flag in my immediate neighborhood.  

I have had many guests in my home. I have held parties for friends, fundraising events for political candidates, and meetings of groups that I belong to. In so many years, only a few people ever mentioned the Israeli flag. To be fair, while I was running for local elected office, a particular member of the community who didn’t care for me (because I flew the Israeli flag) brought it up in public forums that I was a Pro-Israeli Zionist and the flag proved it. Well, of course I’m a Pro-Israeli Zionist; I care deeply about the State of Israel and as a Zionist, I support the State of Israel, having lived there for several years. 

Well, after all these years of displaying my flags, a comment was recently made that raised several flags (pardon the pun) for me. I was hosting a political event for a candidate recently, and I invited many neighbors and friends. There was a very nice turnout with over 30 people from the neighborhood and some other friends who attended. Many of these neighbors had never been to my house before. After the candidate spoke and after the Q&A, one of my neighbors approached me and asked to speak with me privately. 

“I have to talk about something that is uncomfortable” my neighbor said. I was interested, as this neighbor is known to me and I consider him a friend, even though we don’t know each other very well. He supported my own candidacy, I support his efforts in the community, and we’ve met and talked at various times over the past several years. He told me that when he and his wife approached my home that day, his wife told him that she would not “enter the house because of the flag” and she promptly turned around and went home. He did attend the event primarily because he had some things he wanted to say to the candidate and this was a good opportunity. I asked him about this, I asked him why his wife didn’t come in, and that I would have been happy to talk with her about my reasons for flying the flag. He said that his wife was “part Palestinian” and seeing the flag was disturbing to her, that it offended her. 

He offered no other reasons for her refusal to enter my home. Was she so offended at the sight of the Star of David that she was repelled enough to turn away? Did she believe that inside the home she would be assaulted with Pro-Israeli rhetoric? This was a political event for a candidate, and this was a flag of a legitimate nation, recognized by the world body. I am a Jew. I lived in Israel. I support the existence of the State of Israel and I choose to demonstrate that with a flag of that nation. Do not people of German descent fly the German flag? Although I know what happened in Germany many years ago, I would not hesitate to enter a home that displays the German national flag. 

It is now I who am offended; does this woman believe that Israel's national flag, recognized by the world body as a legitimate nation with all the rights of any other nation, and the flag is the recognized symbol of that nation. Does she believe that by entering my home, she is making a statement recognizing the legitimacy of the State of Israel, and by refusing to enter my home, she is making a statement that she refuses to accept the legitimacy of this recognized nation of the world? I can think of no other reason why someone would refuse to enter a home simply because of a flag flying outside a home. 

A US flag, a symbol of our nation, flies outside my home. I honor the flag, light it, take care of it, and replace it when it gets old and tattered. I am a proud American, proud of the nation into which I was born, proud of the global work by our country to advance freedom and peace in the world. I do not always agree with policies and actions of the United States, but I still fly the flag. 

I also fly the flag of my ancestral home. I honor that flag as well. I take care of that flag, replacing it when it gets tattered and old. I am proud of Israel, proud of the nation of my historical roots, proud of the global work done by Israel to advance freedom and peace in the world. I do not always agree with the policies and actions of Israel, but I still fly the flag. 

No nation is perfect. No nation does everything correctly. Every nation trips, just like each one of us. But to deny the existence of a recognized sovereign nation is wrong. My friend's wife is wrong. Regardless of her politics, she is wrong. I am Pro-Israel, I am Pro-Peace, I am Pro-Palestine. I want to see two nations existing side by side in peace and cooperation. Can my friend's wife say the same? if she does, why then would she refuse to enter my home? I would wager that she doesn't. It is disturbing to me that my flag elicits such hatred in her. Then again, at least I know where this woman stands; she stands against the peaceful resolution of the conflict between Israel and her neighbors in the Palestinian Authority. Perhaps I can talk with her, convince her of my argument that one can be Pro-Israel and Pro-Palestine and Pro-Peace, in spite of the fact that I fly the Israeli flag outside my home. Then again, maybe not.

June 17, 2014

Neal Elyakin