Israel's flag was the flag adopted by the first World Zionist Congress in Basle, Switzerland, in 1897. A white talit, or prayer shawl, with blue stripes, to which a Star of David was embedded, became the flag of the Zionist Movement. It was officially adopted and described as Israel's flag in 1948. The background is white, and on it are two stripes of dark sky blue, 25 centimeters broad, across the length of the flag, at a distance of 15 centimeters from the top and bottom of the flag. In the middle of the white background, between the two blue stripes and equidistant from the blue stripes, is a Star of David composed of six dark-sky-blue stripes, 5.5 centimeters broad, which form two equilateral triangles, the bases of which are parallel to the two horizontal stripes.
Historical Dictionary of Israel. Bernard Reich David H. Goldberg. Edited by Jon Woronoff..