History of the Palestine Flag: Arab Revolt, 1964 PLO Adoption & 1988 State Flag
The Palestinian flag belongs to the Pan-Arab flag family and developed from the flag of the Arab Revolt before becoming a central Palestinian national symbol.
Origins in the Arab Revolt flag
The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs traces the flag to the four-color flag used during the 1916 Arab Revolt.
Pan-Arab colors
Black, white, green and red became widely associated with Arab nationalism in the early twentieth century and appeared in several later national flags.
Use in Palestine before 1948
Modified versions of the Arab Revolt flag, including the modern stripe order, were used in Palestine before the mid-twentieth century.
1948 All-Palestine Government
On October 18, 1948, the All-Palestine Government adopted the Arab Revolt-derived flag.
1964 PLO adoption
The Palestine Liberation Organization formally adopted the modern Palestinian flag in 1964.
1988 State of Palestine declaration
On November 15, 1988, the PLO adopted the flag as the flag of the State of Palestine.
2005 flag law
Palestinian law later codified the official construction: equal black, white and green horizontal stripes with a red triangle at the hoist.
Why the flag is part of a wider family
Its resemblance to flags such as Jordan’s is historical. These designs share the same Pan-Arab color tradition and Arab Revolt roots while using different symbols and proportions.
