Introduction to the Watermelon Symbolism
Watermelons are grown throughout the Middle East and are a staple of Palestinian cuisine. They owe their political importance to their colors; with their green and white rind, their red meat, and their black seeds, they resemble the colors of the Palestinian flag.
The Forbidden Flag
Palestinian artist Sliman Mansour recalled in an interview that in the 1980s, Israeli politics in the occupied Palestinian areas prohibited the display of the Palestinian flag. The flag’s colors – red, green, black, and white – were also forbidden. After some of Mansour’s paintings were confiscated, he and a group of artists met with an Israeli officer who ordered that all exhibitions must be approved by the Israeli censor office before being shown in the West Bank and Gaza.
The Watermelon Idea
The officer suggested that the artists paint beautiful flowers or a naked figure instead of political art. When an artist asked what would happen if they painted a flower with the forbidden colors, the officer replied that even a watermelon would be confiscated. According to Mansour, the watermelon idea actually came from an Israeli soldier.
Fruit Becomes a Statement
In the Palestinian areas, the watermelon took on a life of its own. It appeared on walls, T-shirts, posters, and in art galleries. The watermelon became a symbol of resistance and a way to express solidarity with the Palestinian people.
The History of the Flag
The Palestinian flag was designed in 1916 by Sharif Hussein Bin Ali, Emir of Mecca. At that time, the area known as Palestine was part of the Ottoman Empire. The flag became a symbol of the Arab revolt against the Turks. After the British defeated the Turks, Palestine remained under British mandate until 1948. The flag was then revived as a national flag of the Palestinian state.
The Ban on the Flag
However, less than 20 years later, the flag was banned again. After the Six-Day War in 1967, Israel occupied the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem. The flag was forbidden, and those who displayed it risked arrest. The ban was only lifted in 1993 during the Oslo peace process.
Recent Developments
In January 2023, Israel’s National Security Minister ordered the removal of Palestinian flags from public spaces, effectively restoring the ban. This move has led to increased use of the watermelon symbol in pro-Palestinian demonstrations around the world.
Popular on Social Media
Today, demonstrators use the watermelon as a political statement in pro-Palestinian demonstrations. The use of the symbol on social media has also grown, with many users replacing the Palestinian flag with the watermelon emoji to avoid censorship.
A Racist Stereotype in the USA
However, the history of the watermelon as a symbol is not without controversy. In the United States, the fruit had racist connotations, being used to mock black people. After the abolition of slavery in 1865, many black people earned their living by growing and selling watermelons. White racists twisted this to stereotype blacks as lazy, and caricature images were spread to insult and humiliate the black community.
Collision of Symbolic Meanings
The two different symbolic meanings of the watermelon collided when the Democratic Socialists of America used the image of a watermelon in flyers asking the Democratic House Minority Leader to show solidarity with Gaza. The flyer triggered controversy, as it was aimed at an African-American politician.
