Eagle-eyed viewers accused the broadcaster and the Mayor of London of “deliberate antisemitism” after noticing the apparent omission.
Commentators said the coverage ‘butchered’ the Israeli flag (Image: BBC)
London New Year’s Eve firework display has sparked backlash after eagle-eyed viewers claimed the Israeli Star of David had been “erased” from the show. The BBC’s annual programme, which featured the UK capital’s major fireworks show around the London Eye, drew criticism for appearing to “butcher” Israel’s flag in an extravagant light display.
Social media commentators claimed a projection of flags from around the world omitted the Star of David from Israel‘s representation, leading some to accuse the broadcaster and Mayor of London Sadiq Khan of “deliberate antisemitism”. But a City Hall spokesperson denied that the symbol was removed and told the Express a number of the animated flags were unclear because of their size and motion, also including those for Guatemala, Argentina and Honduras.
Former spokesman of the State of Israel, Elyon Levy, said Mr Khan had a “lot of explaining to do”. He posted on X: “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.”
One person said on X: “It seems 2026 will be another year full of antisemitism in the UK.
“London’s display of flags erased the Star of David – butchering the Israeli flag. The Jewish symbol wiped out!” Another added: “The Mayor of London knows what he’s doing here. [The] flag of Israel has had the Star of David removed from it. Shame on him and what a deliberate piece of antisemitism he thought no one would see.”
Another posted: “Why the hell has the Star of David been removed from the flag of Israel at the NYE London celebrations on the Millennium Wheel?”
One person questioned: “Is it me ot is the Star of David missing from the Israel flag @MayorofLondon?”
Another said: “Please tell me I’m reading too much into this, because it sure as s*** looks they removed the Star of David from the Israel flag during the fireworks, if that’s even what that’s supposed to be. Naturally, Palestine is there..”
The City Hall spokesperson said: “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. These animated flags were small and moving so were not all entirely clear at every point as they gradually formed into the Union Flag.”
It follows days of heightened tension in the UK linked to the case of Alaa Abd El-Fattah, who returned to the UK on Boxing Day after being imprisoned on charges of spreading false news in Egypt.
Mr Abd El-Fattah was initially welcomed by Prime Minister Keir Starmer, before tweets dating back to 2010 resurfaced in which the activist appeared to call for violence against Zionists and the police.
Downing Street described the post as “abhorrent” but said an apology by Mr Abd El-Fattah was “fairly fulsome”.
Campaigners, including members of the Reform UK and Conservative Party, have called for him to have his British citizenship stripped due to the posts, although there are no known plans for this, and the law does not appear to provide grounds to deport him.
Jewish people around the world have also lived in a state of fear since the horrific Bondi Beach attack, which targeted a group celebrating Hanukkah on December 14 and became Australia’s deadliest mass shooting in decades.
Antisemitic incidents had previously seen a global spike after the Hamas attack on Israel in October 2023, with the Community Safety Trust recording 4,296 instances in the UK in 2023, double the previous year and the highest number ever documented.
Mr Khan hailed London’s New Year’s Eve celebrations as the “greatest in the world” last night after 100,000 people lined the banks of the River Thames to ring in 2026 with the city’s largest fireworks display.
As well as paying tribute to countries around the world, the display celebrated national achievements of the last 12 months, referenced last summer as being the hottest on record and nodded to the “tea-time alarm” meme that joked there is a daily alarm reminding British people to enjoy a cup of tea.
The BBC has also been contacted for comment.
