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An Aerial view of the Israeli flag on the ground at the Masada airfield on Sunday. (AP)
Last update - 23:09 25/11/2007
Giant Israeli flag breaks world record for largest in world
By The Associated Press
Tags: Tourism Ministry, Masada 

Beneath the ancient Jewish desert strongpoint of Masada, the world's largest flag was unfurled Sunday, covering a large stretch of sandy hinterland.

The huge blue and white Israeli flag, 660 meters (2,165 feet) long and 100meters (330 feet) wide and weighing 5.2 metric tons, breaks the record for the world's largest, according to the Tourism Ministry.

It was measured by representatives for the Guinness Book of Records.
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Filipino entrepreneur and evangelical Christian Grace Galindez-Gupana said she decided two years ago to produce a giant Israeli flag as a testament to her love for Israel and the Jewish people, and as a celebration of 50 years of diplomatic relations between the Philippines and Israel.

"God spoke to me in thunder and lightening," Galindez-Gupana said. "The Lord said, 'Make the flag of Israel, the standard of my people.'"

"This is a tall order," she said, as she broke down in tears.

The record-breaking Israeli flag was accompanied by a giant Philippines flag - huge, but not quite as big. It weighed only about 3.8 metric tons.

Large stones anchored both flags as they billowed in the desert winds.

"They were made in the Philippines and shipped to Israel days ago," said Daniel Rozen, spokesman for Living Stone Ministries, a group that helped bring the flags to Israel.

"There are about 31,000 Filipinos in Israel, most of whom are foreign workers," said Gilberto Asuque, consul general of the Philippine Embassy in Israel.

"This flag expresses the friendship between the Philippines and the state of Israel, and also the friendship between Jewish and Christian communities," said Shaul Zemach, director of the Tourism Ministry
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  1.   Singularly appropriate. 22:23  |  Colin Wright 25/11/07
  2.   Israeli flag 22:36  |  Neal 25/11/07
  3.   Hope it will be there when I go in January! 22:37  |  Yered Shmuel 25/11/07
  4.   Wonderful achievement Grace Galindez-Gupana 22:47  |  Virginia 25/11/07
  5.   friendship between Jewish/Christian communities 23:07  |  Cameron 25/11/07
  6.   Can we see it from GoogleEarth? 23:36  |  Kevin Minailo 25/11/07
  7.   WOW 23:40  |  Axel 25/11/07
  8.   Giant Flag 23:44  |  Mahmoud 25/11/07
  9.   Flag from Google Earth 23:46  |  Steve 25/11/07
  10.   Giant Flag 23:47  |  Joe H. 25/11/07
  11.   Thank you to the Philipines 23:58  |  Nephtaly 25/11/07
  12.   google eartg 00:01  |  goldman 26/11/07
  13.   Isn`t Israel trying to do the same thing.... 00:09  |  Don Camillo 26/11/07
  14.   Yes, it should have a pole. Where would placement be? 00:29  |  My vote 26/11/07
  15.   It`s new home... 00:55  |  Webster 26/11/07
  16.   Just what Israel needs 00:58  |  Mark Marshall 26/11/07
  17.   re: 13 Don Camillo 01:04  |  Nick 26/11/07
  18.   Response to #8 Mahmoud 01:27  |  Adam Newman 26/11/07
  19.   #13 Don Camillo 01:28  |  Wow 26/11/07
  20.   Largest Flag, Smallest......... 02:24  |  B 26/11/07
  21.   Idiotic Gesture 02:31  |  Montag 26/11/07
  22.   An answer to Mahmoud`s query 03:04  |  Raymond from DC 26/11/07
  23.   Next Guinness feat 03:12  |  D.R. Zukerman 26/11/07
  24.   So what! That money could have had been used elswhere 03:13  |  CC 26/11/07
  25.   You`ll need a bigger one 03:21  |  sam 26/11/07
  26.   Maybe now these "gestarbeiter" can have there children born in 03:25  |  Miriana 26/11/07
  27.   Sam, learn some history 04:07  |  Sabashimon 26/11/07
  28.   More proof Sam 04:08  |  Sabashimon 26/11/07
  29.   Are you listening, Sam? 04:10  |  Sabashimon 26/11/07
  30.   Sam from palo alto 05:37  |  aj 26/11/07
  31.   HOORAY FOR PHILIPPINES; BOO TO PHILISTINES 05:37  |  Gideon 26/11/07
  32.   #27-29..Sabashimon 05:41  |  Nemesis 26/11/07
  33.   Nice 07:25  |  Efox 26/11/07
  34.   re: Cameron 07:26  |  Efox 26/11/07
  35.   re: B That gives me an Idea 07:33  |  Efox 26/11/07
  36.   re: sam Boo Hoo, Wah Wah 07:35  |  Efox 26/11/07
  37.   Isn`t this a violation? 07:47  |  mike basilio 26/11/07
  38.   Flag 08:37  |  zznhl 26/11/07
  39.   #32 Copy 27-29 and post every day on every aqppropriate talk back 08:52  |  back talk 26/11/07
  40.   31.000 slaves !!! 08:57  |  Sara 26/11/07
  41.   Loony 09:34  |  Clickfool 26/11/07
  42.   Oh, Puhllleeeease! Sabashimon... 09:54  |  Texas Sam 26/11/07
  43.   Big flag, small mind. 10:02  |  Chanalau, Tova 26/11/07
  44.   Which factory do they use?? 10:20  |  Wilbur Rice 26/11/07
  45.   #41 Clickfool 10:21  |  JonathanInTelAviv 26/11/07
  46.   Who is more `loony`? 10:26  |  Wilbur Rice 26/11/07
  47.   #42 Texas Sam the cow (not boy) 10:40  |  Hastaroth 26/11/07
  48.   #40 Sara with the Jewish name 10:42  |  Hastaroth 26/11/07
  49.   D.CAMILLO."Moderate" Fatah TV that shows ALL Israel as Palestine 10:47  |  PETER S .M. 26/11/07
  50.   SARA.Fillipinos are gentle &caring&employed worldwide in caring 10:51  |  PETER S .M. 26/11/07
  51.   #40 11:00  |  Sara 26/11/07
  52.   SAM 5/15/1948 "Mufti of Jerusalem appealed to Arabs to leave"Read 11:08  |  PETER S.M. 26/11/07
  53.   proud of what! 11:13  |  ala 26/11/07
  54.   CFOOL Eat your heart out like you did with Beckham`s visit 11:14  |  PETER S .M. 26/11/07
  55.   Nick re Camillo a brilliant example of the" intelligencia" 11:16  |  PETER S.M. 26/11/07
  56.   #49 should read: To #48 reply from #40 SARA 11:16  |  Sara 26/11/07
  57.   "SARA"??Phillipinos are employed worldwide in caring. 11:26  |  PETER S.M. 26/11/07
  58.   #50 Read my comments properly before you bark 11:41  |  Sara 26/11/07
  59.   SARA "you know ONE Phillipino lady" so you know them all? 11:51  |  PETER S .M. 26/11/07
  60.   So Peter S.M., seems you support this slavery 12:24  |  Sara 26/11/07
  61.   Sabashimon is a genocide denier 12:31  |  Tarik 26/11/07
  62.   Flag 12:34  |  Sean 26/11/07
  63.   Giant flag for Great Israel...... 12:42  |  IL supporter 26/11/07
  64.   give credit where credit is due 12:54  |  ibn hordus 26/11/07
  65.   For Peter SM on Beckham # 54 13:51  |  Clickfool 26/11/07
  66.   #47 I`ve been called worse LOL!!! 14:01  |  Texas Sam 26/11/07
  67.   peter s.m and the refugee problem 14:09  |  closer than melbourn 26/11/07
  68.   sam the indiginous population is back at home in Israel 14:45  |  Israeli 26/11/07
  69.   Tarik -- you are mistaken 14:47  |  bbl 26/11/07
  70.   Sara and her jealousy 14:49  |  Israeli employer 26/11/07
  71.   Sara you know of one case and judge the rest by that 14:51  |  Israeli employer 26/11/07
  72.   SARA present your statistical valid survey not bile 14:52  |  PETER S .M. 26/11/07