America’s 250th anniversary is a huge milestone, and the festivities in Washington, DC, are starting early. However, an odd sight drew the attention of hordes of Americans online: an Israeli flag right next to the US flag, at the same height, at a church event. The incident has since gone viral, with many social media users outraged at the sight and left questioning what exactly the Israeli flag is doing there during the Independence Day event.
The incident occurred at David’s Tent in Washington, DC, right alongside the Great American State Fair. X user Stephanie Mencimer was among the first to notice and post about the Jewish mini-church near the National Mall, and her tweet, along with the caption, “I guess no one at the Great American Fair wants to listen to the Jesus music on the Mall,” has invited discussions online regarding the US and Israel.
In the video, you can see that the tent church was more or less empty, though that didn’t stop the singer from carrying on with the “Yahweh” anthem. Still, what caught the attention of many viewers was how the US flag was right beside the Israel flag. The clip has gained millions of views across multiple social media platforms, with some of the most viral comments asking, “Why is there an Israeli flag hanging in the back?”
Other commenters didn’t mince words, however, with certain X users half-jokingly commenting, “Because Israel owns the United States. Its like a parent company.” Some couldn’t help but rant at the display, expecting US Independence Day to be strictly about the country, leading to disappointment: “What the [expletive] is this, thought this was a celebration of America. Wake up folks, we’re under occupation by a hostile foreign power.”
Flag code violated?
The placement of the Israeli flag has certainly raised debates after some critics argued that it’s “literally against flag code,” citing 4 U.S. Code § 7, which states that another flag can’t be displayed to the right of the US flag. However, this is just flag etiquette and not really illegal or punishable by law. It also appears that the Israeli flag was limited to the church events at David’s Tent in Washington, DC, and hasn’t appeared elsewhere where the Great American Fair takes place.
Regardless, there’s no shortage of negative sentiment towards what transpired in David’s Tent, with people saying they’re “really getting tired of these,” and another commenter stating, “No one I know supports this.” Additionally, the Israeli flag is not the first source of outrage or criticism surrounding the Great American Fair. The 16-day event had a pretty rough start.
Apart from the Israeli flag, there have also been sightings of Confederate flags in the area, which have been more incendiary for some people. Additionally, the concerts and venues were mostly mocked for sparse crowds, even in Washington, DC. One event, such as Vanilla Ice’s concert, even had to be canceled due to inclement weather.
