London's iconic New Year's Eve fireworks display, organized under the auspices of Mayor Sadiq Khan, has sparked widespread debate after viewers claimed the Star of David was omitted from the Israeli flag during a segment projected onto the London Eye. The event, which drew over 100,000 spectators along the River Thames and millions more via BBC broadcast, featured an animated display of national flags symbolizing the city's diverse population.
Visual analysis of the image and broadcast footage shows dozens of small, animated national flags appearing on the wheel, gradually morphing into the Union Jack. The Israeli flag, typically white with two horizontal blue stripes and a central Star of David, appeared as a simplified version with only the stripes visible, leaving a blank space in the center.
Eylon Levy, a former spokesman for the Israeli government, shared an image from the display and wrote: "I thought this was a hoax, so I checked myself. The Star of David was removed from the Israeli flag during last night's fireworks display at the London Eye. Just a white flag, with two blue stripes and the Jewish symbol gone. Mayor @SadiqKhan has a lot of explaining to do."
Notably, similar issues affected other flags: Argentina's was shown without its central sun, Guatemala's without its coat of arms, and Honduras' without its stars.
A spokesperson for City Hall, speaking on behalf of Mayor Khan, denied any intentional removal, emphasizing the display's theme of unity and diversity. "The animated flags were small, moving, and designed to transition into the Union Flag as a symbol of London's multicultural fabric," the spokesperson told reporters. "Due to the technical constraints of the projection, size, motion, and lighting, some details across multiple flags were not fully visible. This was not targeted at any one nation and certainly not an act of erasure."
The BBC, which aired the event live, was contacted for comment but has not yet responded. Organizers noted that the display represented countries of origin for London's residents, including both Israel and Palestine, with the Palestinian flag appearing intact nearby.
Despite these explanations, the incident has fueled outrage, particularly amid rising antisemitic incidents in the UK. The Community Security Trust, a Jewish safety organization, reported 1,521 antisemitic incidents in the first half of 2025, the second-highest on record.
