Controversy Erupts Over Removal of Star of David from Israeli Flag in London's New Year's Eve Fireworks

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.

Critics, including journalist Melanie Phillips, labeled the omission as "disrespectful" and "a deliberate piece of antisemitism," with some linking it to broader tensions over the Israel-Palestine conflict. One reply to Levy's post stated: "Nothing says ‘inclusive global city’ like getting rid of a Magen David and hoping no one notices." Others pointed out the inclusion of the Palestinian flag as evidence of bias, with comments like: "Khan's NYE firework display in London sabotages the Israeli flag by removing the Star of David & inserts 2 Palestinian flags."

Mayor Khan, who hailed the celebrations as "the greatest in the world" in a pre-event statement, has not personally addressed the flag issue. The fireworks, a staple of London's New Year's festivities since 2000, also faced unrelated criticism for security chaos and perceived political messaging, including references to unity amid global divisions.

Representatives from Jewish community groups have urged a review of the display's design process to prevent future "oversights".