A New Jersey woman caused an uproar by tearing down Greek flags outside a Greek dinner in Montclair mistaking them to be Israeli.
Shouting, “Free Palestine, this is genocide!” she tore down the flags. Her outburst startled the restaurant staff and customers. However, after being informed about her mistake, she realized the flags were not Israeli but Greek.
“Oh really?” she is heard saying. “Do you want it back?” she asked. “Of course, we want it back,” the staff replied.
@ambamelia
Feeling embarrassed, she later apologized for her actions and expressed her shame over the misunderstanding.
Anti-Israeli protests in the US
Anti-Israel sentiment in the US over the conflict in Gaza has intensified, with significant protests and polarization occurring both on college campuses and among the general population.
Many protests have taken place on university campuses, including at institutions like New York University, the University of Michigan, and the University of California, Berkeley. These protests often involve encampments, calls for divestment from companies linked to Israel, and, at times, confrontations with police.
In some instances, students and faculty have been arrested for their actions, which has only heightened the visibility and intensity of these demonstrations.
The Greek and Israeli flags
The Greek flag has nine alternating stripes of blue and white. The blue stripes represent the sky and seas, while the white stripes symbolize the purity of the Greek independence struggle. The white cross in the upper left corner is a symbol of Greek Orthodoxy.
For some, the flag’s nine horizontal stripes represent the nine syllables in the phrase “Ελευθερία ή Θάνατος (Eleftheria i Thanatos),” the revolutionary phrase translating to “Freedom or Death.”
The utterance was proudly proclaimed by the Greeks during the War of Independence, and it embodies their willingness to sacrifice their own lives in the fight for freedom.
However, some say that the nine stripes simply represent the nine letters of Ελευθερία or freedom.
Others have posited that the nine stripes stand for the nine muses, from the country’s ancient history; however, this claim is disputed.
The Israeli flag has a white background with two blue stripes and a white Star of David in the center. The white background represents purity and peace. The blue stripes represent the Mediterranean Sea. The Star of David is a Jewish symbol, often associated with King David of the Bible.
Both flags use blue and white, but the arrangement and proportions differ.
Related: The Greek Flag Through the Centuries
