London denies Star of David removed from Israeli flag during New Year’s Eve special after facing backlash

City Hall quickly released a statement insisting that the animated flags were very small and moved too quickly to appear clearly to all viewers.

By Shiryn Ghermezian, The Algemeiner

A spokesperson for London Mayor Sadiq Khan denied speculation that the British capital deliberately removed the Star of David from the Israeli flag that was displayed during the city’s New Year’s Eve fireworks spectacle on Wednesday night.

Flags from around the world were projected onto the London Eye Ferris wheel to form the European Union flag in an effort to celebrate the diversity of people in London and “send a message of unity for 2026,” according to the mayor’s office.

It was displayed as part of the city’s celebration to welcome the new year, but some viewers noticed that Israel’s flag appeared simply as a white rectangle with two blue stripes.

The iconic Star of David that is typically in the center of the flag was not clearly visible, which prompted some social media users to claim the symbol of Jewish identity was “removed” or “erased.”

However, City Hall quickly released a statement insisting that the animated flags were very small and moved too quickly to appear clearly to all viewers.

The visibility issues affected other blue and white national flags as well that were included in the sequence, including those of Guatemala, Argentina, and Honduras.

“A range of flags were displayed on the London Eye to represent the wide variety of countries of origin of people who live in and contribute to the success of London,” said a City Hall spokesperson, as cited by The Standard.

“These animated flags were small and moving so were not all entirely clear at every point as they gradually formed into the Union Flag.”

The group London Jewish Forum (LJF) shared a video on social media that showed the Star of David very faintly on the Israeli flag in the New Year’s Eve display.

In a released statement, LJF agreed with City Hall that the issue with the Star of David was because “elements were not always clearly visible at every moment due to the scale and motion of the animation.”

“There is no evidence that this was antisemitic or that the Israeli flag was singled out,” the group added.

“The footage and the organizers’ explanation are consistent on this point. We also understand why people are watching these details closely right now. When antisemitism is rising, symbolism carries weight, and scrutiny is natural. In this case, though, what we are seeing does not suggest intent or targeting.”

Other images projected as part of London’s celebration for 2026 on Wednesday night honored England’s women’s rugby team, the Red Roses for winning the Rugby World Cup; the Lionesses soccer team for being victorious in the Euros; and Europe’s triumph over the US in the Ryder Cup.

It also featured visuals and songs from “Wicked: For Good,” as well as a message from the film’s Grammy, Emmy, and Tony-winning actress, London native Cynthia Erivo.

Roughly 100,000 people lined the banks of the River Thames on Wednesday night to watch what was considered the largest annual firework display in Europe, according to the mayor’s office. The event featured more than 12,000 fireworks and over 400 lights.